Lung function and oxygen saturation after participation in Norseman Xtreme Triathlon

Abstract

Objectives:To examine evidence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) defined as ≥10% reduction in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ) and exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) defined as ≥4% reduction in oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) from before to after participation in the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. Secondarily, to assess whether changes in FEV 1 and SpO 2 are related to respiratory symptoms, training volume, and race time. Methods: In this quasi-experimental non-controlled study, we included 63 triathletes (50♂/13♀) aged 40.3 (±9.0) years (mean ± SD). Fifty-seven (46♂/11♀) measured lung function and 54 (44♂/10♀) measured SpO 2 before the race, 8-10 minutes after the race (post-test 1) and the day after the race (post-test 2). Respiratory symptoms and training volume were recorded with modified AQUA questionnaire. ANOVA for repeated measures was used to detect differences in lung function and SpO 2 .Statistical significance was accepted at 0.05 level. Results: Twenty-six participants (46%) presented with EIB at post-test 1 and 16 (28%) at post-test 2. Lung function variables were significantly reduced from baseline to post-test 1 and 2. Thirty-five participants (65%) showed evidence of mild to moderate EIAH. No significant correlations were observed except a weak correlation between maximal reduction in FEV 1 and respiratory symptoms (r = 0.35, P = .016). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that 46% of the participants presented with EIB and 65% showed evidence of EIAH after the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. Changes in FEV 1 and SpO 2 were not correlated to weekly training hours or race time. We observed a weak correlation between maximal reduction in FEV 1 and respiratory symptoms. K E Y W O R D S exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, triathletes | 1009 STENSRUD ET al.

Hearables: New Perspectives and Pitfalls of In-Ear Devices for Physiological Monitoring. A Scoping Review

“…SpO 2 is the physiological parameter which tracks the amount of oxygen dissolved in arterial blood or transported oxygen bound to hemoglobin, as indirectly measured at suitable peripheral sites (i.e., finger, toe, forehead, and ear) by pulse oximetry. Since the brain, as well as the muscles, requires a constant oxygen supply to support the high metabolic rate production necessary to remain electrically active (Williams et al, 2019 ), SpO 2 monitoring is of relevance to detect possible risk conditions not only in clinical settings, but also in physiological studies, sport science, and occupational medicine (Costello et al, 2020 ; Pham et al, 2020 ; Stensrud et al, 2020 ). A reduction in oxygen availability, as experienced at high altitudes or in particular challenging situations, can have a detrimental effect on brain and muscles function, inducing performance decline and increasing the risk of errors and injuries (Hoiland et al, 2016 ).…”

Reduced L-Arginine and L-Arginine-ADMA-Ratio, and Increased SDMA after Norseman Xtreme Triathlon

“…The exact mechanisms that cause exhaustion after prolonged exercise are still not completely elucidated. However several factors have been suggested, such as muscle damage [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 32 ], inflammation [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], exercise-induced bronchoconstriction [ 33 ], and reduction in essential nutrients [ 5 , 14 , 15 ]. The reduced levels of L-arginine and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio and the increased levels of SDMA observed after strenuous exercise, observed in the present study, may result in a state of reduced NO-synthesis capability.…”

Changes in Pulmonary Function After Long-duration Adventure Racing in Adolescent Athletes

“…Nevertheless, the missing direct link between respiratory muscle fatigue and lung function in the present study should be interpreted with caution because static measures such as MIP and MEP do not directly reflect changes in the potential to produce high shortening velocities as present during all flow-dependent maneuvers 30 . Additionally or alternatively, the decrement in FVC may also be influenced by other factors such as peripheral airway constriction 4 5 6 . However, in the present study, no significant changes were observed in FEV 1 , PEF, maximal expiratory flow-volume curves at different percentages of FVC (FEF 25 , FEF 50 , FEF 75 and FEF 25–75 ) and in the FEV 1 /FVC and FEV 1 /PEF ratios, suggesting no evidence of lower- or upper-airway obstruction.…”

“…From a pulmonary perspective, several studies have reported that endurance athletes -and particularly athletes competing at the higher levels -are more prone to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction or bronchial hyperreactivity [4][5][6]. In adult athletes, the functional capacity of the respiratory system to generate air flow is known to be reduced after mixed-modality long-duration races, i. e. triathlon and wilderness multisport endurance competitive race.…”