Prevalence and Characteristics of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in High School and College Athletes at 2,240 m Altitude

• Autores: Martín Becerril Ángeles, Mario H. Vargas, Leonardo Hernández Pérez, Nancy Judith Rivera, Rebeca Ivonne Pérez Hidalgo, Ana Gabriela Ortega González, Severino Rubio Domínguez, María Cristina Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Radamés Gaxiola Cortés, Rodrígo Dosal Ulloa, Laura Graciela Gochicoa Rangel
• Localización: Revista de investigación clínica, ISSN 0034-8376, ISSN-e 2564-8896, Vol. 69, Nº. 1, 2017, págs. 20-27
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Background: Athletes practicing strenuous physical activities may develop exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). We aimed to determine the prevalence and features of this condition in Mexico City (altitude, 2,240 m). Methods: In the present study, 208 high school and college athletes performed a standardized EIB test on a treadmill. Results: Responses to exercise had large between-subject variability in all physiological parameters (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level [SpO2], blood pressure), with nearly similar proportions of subjects in whom FEV1 increased or decreased.

    According to the recommended cut-off value of 10% FEV1 decrease, only 15 (7.2%) athletes had a positive EIB test. Weight lifters were more prone to develop EIB (three out of seven athletes; p = 0.01). Subjects with a positive EIB test already had a lower baseline forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio (96.4 vs. 103.2% of predicted, respectively; p = 0.047), and developed more respiratory symptoms after exercise than subjects with a negative test. There were no differences with respect to age, gender, body mass index, history of asthma or atopic diseases, smoking habit, and exposure to potential indoor allergens. Conclusions: The relatively low prevalence of EIB in athletes from Mexico City raises the possibility that high altitude constitutes a protective factor for EIB. In contrast, weight lifters were especially prone to develop EIB, which suggests that repetitive Valsalva maneuvers could be a novel risk factor for EIB. There was a large betweensubject variability of all physiological responses to exercise. (Rev Inves ClIn. 2017;69:20-7)