Effects of inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids on exercise induced arterial hypoxaemia in trained male athletes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of prophylactic treatment with an inhaled bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory on arterial saturation (SaO2) in trained non-asthmatic male athletes with exercise induced arterial hypoxaemia (EIAH).


METHODS
Nine male athletes (mean (SD) age 26.3 (6.7) years, height 182.6 (7.9) cm, weight 79.3 (10.5) kg, VO2MAX 62.3 (6.3) ml/kg/min, SaO2MIN 92.5 (1.1)%) with no history of asthma were tested in two experimental conditions. A combination of a therapeutic dose of salbutamol and fluticasone or an inert placebo was administered in a randomised crossover design for seven days before maximal cycling exercise. Oxygen consumption (VO2), ventilation (VE), heart rate (HR), power output, and SaO2 were monitored during the exercise tests.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the drug (D) and placebo (P) conditions for minimal SaO2 (D = 93.6 (1.4), P = 93.0 (1.1)%; p = 0.93) VO2MAX (D = 61.5 (7.2), P = 61.9 (6.3) ml/kg/min; p = 0.91), peak power (D = 444.4 (48.3), P = 449.4 (43.9) W; p = 0.90), peak VE (D = 147.8 (19.1), P = 149.2 (15.5) litres/min; p = 0.82), or peak heart rate (D = 182.3 (10.0), P = 180.8 (5.5) beats/min; p = 0.76).


CONCLUSIONS
A therapeutic dose of salbutamol and fluticasone did not attenuate EIAH during maximal cycling in a group of trained male non-asthmatic athletes.
Hodges
A N H
AN
School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. alastairhodges@hotmail.com
Lynn
B M
BM
Koehle
M S
MS
McKenzie
D C
DC
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D000068298:Fluticasone; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*
D000730:Androstadienes; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D000068298:Fluticasone; D000420:Albuterol