| In both children and adults, acute exercise increases lung capillary
blood volume (Vc) and membrane factor (DmCO). We sought to determine
whether basketball training affected this adaptation to exercise in
children. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of
two years sport activity on the components of pulmonary gas transfer
in children. Over a 2-yr period, we retested 60 nine year old boys
who were initially separated in two groups: 30 basketball players
(P) (9.0 ± 1.0 yrs; 35.0 ± 5.2 kg; 1.43 ± 0.05 m), and matched non
players controls (C) (8.9 ± 1.0 yrs; 35.0 ± 6.0 kg; 1.44 ± 0.06 m)
who did not perform any extracurricular activity, Vc and DmCO were
measured by the NO/CO transfer method at rest and during sub-maximal
exercise. Maximal aerobic power and peak power output was 12% higher
in the trained group compared to matched controls (p < 0.05). Nitric
oxide lung transfer (TLNO) per unit lung volume and thus, DmCO per
unit of lung volume (VA) were higher at rest and during exercise in
the group which had undergone regular basketball activity compared
to matched controls (p < 0.05). Neither lung capillary blood volume
nor total lung transfer for carbon monoxide (TLCO) were significantly
different between groups. These results suggest that active sport
can alter the properties of the lung alveolo-capillary membrane by
improving alveolar membrane conductance in children.
KEY
WORDS: Membrane diffusing capacity, pulmonary capillary blood
volume, alveolar volume, children, NO/CO transfer.
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