Physical fitness in a group of 49 stable asthmatic children was determined by an incremental exercise test. Thirty-one normal children served as a control group. The asthmatic children were divided into three groups. Group 1 was comprised of 16 children who actively participated in organized sports, Group 2 of 16 children who did not participate in organized sports but who engaged in free-play, and Group 3 of 17 children with a sedentary life-style who avoided even free-play. The results of cardiopulmonary evaluation before and after maximal incremental exercise testing have shown that Groups 1 and 2 behaved like the control group and their physical fitness was similar. Group 3 whose life-style was sedentary had poor physical fitness as compared to the other asthmatics and to the control group. This was the result of poor cardiovascular conditioning and was unrelated to the respiratory limitation. We conclude that poor physical fitness in asthmatic children is the result of a sedentary life-style and can be potentially normalized.
The frequency of pulmonary involvement in a group of 20 patients with Sj6gren's syndrome or the sicca complex was evaluated with pulmonary function studies. In 12 patients pulmonary functional abnormalities were demonstrated. The, most common abnormality was airway obstruction. Nine out of 13 patients with the limited variant of the disease (sicca complex) and three out of seven patients with the complete syndrome had abnormal pulmonary function.
The Lymphapress, a pneumatic sequential intermittent device is recognized as one of the most effective conservative treatments for lymphoedema, due to its effective 'milking mechanism'. This led us to hypothesize that accelerated removal of fatigue-causing metabolites by mechanical massage could improve an athlete's performance capacity. We conducted trials with 11 men who exercised at a constant workload, on a cycle ergometer, until exhaustion. During a 20-min recovery period a new modified pneumatic sequential intermittent device (the MISPD) was applied to the subjects' legs. The men then performed a second constant load exercise bout. Cardiorespiratory parameters were measured during exercise and blood was withdrawn during recovery for the determination of lactate, pyruvate, ammonia, bicarbonate and pH. No difference was found in the blood levels of the 'fatigue causing metabolites' during passive recovery (PR) and recovery with the MISPD (MR). However, the MISPD effected a 45% improvement in the subjects' ability to perform the subsequent exercise bout. The accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space after exercise and its disappearance after the use of the MISPD offers one possible explanation for these results, although psychological effects cannot be discounted.
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