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.
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Service de Pédiatrie I, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, 371 avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 Montpellier Cédex 5, France.
Karila
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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*