Effect of nebulised salbutamol on maximal exercise performance in men with mild asthma.

Abstract

The effect of 5 mg nebulised salbutamol on the cardiorespiratory responses to a progressive maximal exercise test was investigated in eight asthmatic (mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEVY) 3 48 (1 -0) litres) and eight non-asthmatic men. Exercise tests were performed on a bicycle ergometer after administration of nebulised salbutamol or matched saline placebo. In the asthmatic subjects salbutamol increased the resting FEV1 by 1 1%. The mean (SD) percentage fall in FEV1 after exercise did not change significantly (salbutamol 9-4 (12.8); placebo 15 0 ( 8 0)), but because the FEV1 before exercise was increased the lowest FEV1 after exercise was also significantly higher after salbutamol than placebo (3-60 (1.13) v 2 85 (0 80) litres). Despite the improvement in FEV1 before exercise there was no significant difference in maximal workload, oxygen uptake, heart rate, or ventilation during exercise after salbutamol compared with placebo in the asthmatic patients. Tidal volume was higher at maximal exercise after salbutamol but there was no change in perception of breathlessness or exertion in the asthmatic subjects. During submaximal progressive exercise the perceived rate ofexertion was reduced in the asthmatic patients and oxygen pulse was reduced in both groups owing to a small and non-significant increase in heart rate. The FEV, and cardiorespiratory response to the progressive maximal exercise test in the non-asthmatic subjects were otherwise unchanged after salbutamol. The results suggest that 5 mg nebulised salbutamol has little effect on the cardiorespiratory responses to progressive maximal exercise in patients with mild asthma and in non-asthmatic subjects. Salbutamol in this dose may reduce the severity of exercise induced asthma, but no ergogenic effect on maximal exercise performance was shown.

Efeito agudo do salbutamol no sistema cardiovascular durante o exercício físico em pacientes com asma moderada ou grave: estudo aleatorizado, duplo-cego e cruzado

“…In this study, salbutamol did not improve exercise capacity or reduce dyspnea. Similar studies in asthmatic athletes 29 and subjects with mild asthma 21 also showed that the acute use of salbutamol has no ergogenic effect.…”

“…However, unlike our results, they found an increase in systolic BP and a reduction in diastolic BP after the use of salbutamol at the beginning of the exercise. The study by Freeman et al 21 differs from the present study in that it was composed of mild asthmatic patients who practiced regular physical activity, and a dosage of 5mg of salbutamol in nebulized form was applied. The present study included patients with moderate or severe asthma, who are the most indicated for pulmonary rehabilitation 22 .…”

“…To date, we found only one study 21 that evaluated the effect of salbutamol on the cardiovascular system during exercise in asthmatic patients. As in the present study, the authors found that administration of 5mg of nebulized salbutamol did not alter HR at rest and during exercise.…”

The Impact of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction on Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review

“…≥10% fall in FEV1) following bronchoprovocation testing. Consequently, ten papers met the initial criteria; six purported to evaluate exercise performance in physically active individuals with asthma and/or EIB [11][12][13][14][15][16] while four assessed the effects of medication on performance in a comparable population [17][18][19][20]. These will be considered in more detail in the subsequent sections and form the basis of this review (Table 1).…”

“…kg -1. min -1 ) Freeman et al [19] observed no improvements in performance during progressive exercise following nebulization of 5mg of salbutamol despite a significant increase in resting and post-exercise FEV1 [19]. Similarly, Ingemann-Hansen [57] showed no benefits of salbutamol on VO2max or endurance time to exhaustion within a comparable population.…”