Pulmonary Function in Former Endurance Athletes

Pulmonary function was studied in 57 former champion endurance runners or cross‐country skiers. A control group of 53 non‐athletes of the same age was submitted to a similar study. Although the results of various pulmonary function tests in the total groups were also compared, the main emphasis was laid upon the comparison of pulmonary function in 28 “healthy” controls and 37 “healthy” athletes who were free from detectable cardiovascular, respiratory or other significant disease. The former athletes differed from the control subjects by having a larger vital capacity (VC) and total lung capacity (TLC). Residual volume (RV) and functional residual capacity (FRC), as well as RV/TLC × 100 and FRC/TLC × 100, were slightly but significantly greater in athletes than in controls. Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV F ) tended to be greater in athletes than in control subjects. Forced expiratory volume in 1.5 sec as a percentage of VC (FEV%) was approximately similar in controls and athletes. Pulmonary diffusing capacity (D L,CO ) at rest was markedly greater in athletes than in control subjects. MVV F showed a significant negative correlation to age in healthy controls and athletes. Although the values for MVV F tended to be higher in athletes than in controls, the difference in the level of the regression lines to age was not significant and the slopes of the regression lines in the two groups did not differ significantly. FEV% was negatively correlated to age in healthy athletes but not in control subjects. A significant negative correlation was also observed between D L,CO and age in healthy athletes but not in controls. D L,CO showed a significant positive correlation to VC in healthy control subjects, and in healthy athletes the correlation between these two parameters almost reached statistical significance. In athletes a significant positive correlation was observed between D L,CO at rest and maximum oxygen uptake predicted on the basis of heart rate response to a submaximal work load. In control subjects the correlation between D L,CO and maximum oxygen uptake was not statistically significant. MVV F also showed a significant positive correlation to maximum oxygen uptake in athletes but not in control subjects.