Anaerobic fitness in children with asthma: adaptation to maximal intermittent short exercise.
Nineteen asthmatic boys (aged 13.4 years, 25-75 percentile: 11.5-15.1 years) performed short bouts of maximal exercise (force-velocity test) to test their anaerobic fitness and tolerance of maximal anaerobic exercise. Fourteen healthy boys (aged 13.9 years, 25-75 percentile: 11.6-15.7 years) matched for anthropometric characteristics including lean body mass (LBM), pubertal stage, and weekly physical activity formed a control group. The maximal anaerobic power (W(ana)) was measured during the force-velocity test. The maximal oxygen uptake (V'(O2max)) was assessed during a standard graded exercise test. Pre- and post-exercise pulmonary function was measured by body plethysmography. The asthmatic children exhibited lower W(ana) than the control group (8.2 watt.kg(-1) LBM, 25-75 percentile: 7.55-10.6 vs. 11.3 watt.kg(-1) LBM, 25-75 percentile: 9.46-14.1; P = 0.01). V'(O2max) was also diminished in the asthmatic group (P = 0.01). Multiple stepwise regression models revealed that Tanner's score (P < 0.001) and the diagnosis of asthma (P < 0.01) were the best predictors of W(ana). In conclusion, a diminished anaerobic fitness could contribute to the overall exercise limitation in asthmatic children.
Service de Pédiatrie I, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, 371 avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 Montpellier Cédex 5, France.
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D000293:Adolescent; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*