title: Baseline lung function, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and asthma-like symptoms in elite women ice hockey players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is high among ice rink athletes and may be related to exercise ventilation of rink air pollutants. Impaired postchallenge expiratory flows are common for this population; however, baseline lung function and symptoms have not been fully evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined resting lung function and asthma-like symptoms in relation to airway hyperresponsiveness in National Team female ice hockey players (N = 43). Subjects were grouped according to observed symptoms and medical history as symptomatic ('S') or asymptomatic ('A'). Baseline and postexercise lung function was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen (39.5%) presented symptoms and 9 (21%) had EIB. Baseline FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75 were different between 'S' and 'A' (102 +/- 14% vs 116 +/- 12%, 77.7 +/- 7.5 vs 88.2 +/- 4.5, and 74 +/- 22% vs 118 +/- 24%, respectively; P < 0.05); FVC and PEF were not different. Ten 'S' athletes had <80% FEV1/FVC; 9 had <70% predicted FEF25-75. Six of 9 EIB+ subjects had symptoms; cough occurred in all six and was related to EIB (chi 2 = 4.23, OR = 6.5, CI = 1.1-44.1; P = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline lung function is related to symptoms and precludes EIB in some rink athletes, suggesting that EIB and its development is a heterogeneous and may involve fibrotic as well as inflammatory processes. Small airway dysfunction in ice arena athletes is likely related to internal combustion pollutants emitted from ice resurfacing machines.
authors.affiliation: Keith J. O'Neill Center for Healthy Families, Marywood University, Scranton, PA 18509-1598, USA. rundell@marywood.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Rundell
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Spiering
authors.forename: Tina M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006688:Hockey; D006801:Humans; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests