Effects of Obesity and Sex on Ventilatory Constraints during a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Children.

Purpose: Ventilatory constraints are common during exercise in children, but the effects of obesity and sex are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of obesity and sex on ventilatory constraints (i.e.

Treadmill walking economy is not affected by body fat and body mass index in adults.

To determine whether body fat and body mass index (BMI) affect the energy cost of walking (Cw; J/kg/m), ventilation, and gas exchange data from 205 adults (115 females; percent body fat range = 3.0%-52.8%; BMI range = 17.

A Randomized Trial of Inspiratory Training in Children and Adolescents With Obesity.

Children with obesity suffer excess dyspnea that contributes to sedentariness. Developing innovative strategies to increase exercise tolerance and participation in children with obesity is a high priority. Because inspiratory training (IT) has reduced dyspnea, we sought to assess IT in children with obesity.

Body composition in early pubescent children with obesity: effects following 1 year of nonintervention.

Little is known about whether body composition changes differently between children with and without obesity following 1 year of nonintervention. Therefore, we investigated body composition in early pubescent children (8-12 yr) with and without obesity before and after a period of 1 year of nonintervention. Early pubescent children (8-12 yr; Tanner stage ≤ 3) with (body mass index, BMI ≥ 95th percentile) and without obesity (15th < BMI < 85th percentile) were recruited.

Acute Effects of Albuterol on Ventilatory Capacity in Children with Asthma.

Background: Children with asthma may have a reduced ventilatory capacity, which could lead to symptoms and early termination of a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-acting beta agonist (albuterol) administration on estimated ventilatory capacity in children with asthma.

Methods: Fifteen children (eleven boys, 10.

Static respiratory mechanics are unaltered in males and females with obesity.

We tested the hypothesis that independent of the obesity-related shift in lung volume subdivisions, obesity would not reduce the interrelationships of expiratory flow, lung volume, and static lung elastic recoil pressure in males and females. Simultaneous measurements of expiratory flow, volume, and transpulmonary pressure were continuously recorded while flow-volume loops of varying expiratory efforts were performed in a pressure-corrected, volume-displacement body plethysmograph in males and females with obesity. Static compliance curves were collected using the occlusion technique.

The Effect of Body Armor on Pulmonary Function Using Plethysmography.

Military tactical athletes face the unique task of performing physically demanding occupational duties, often while wearing body armor. Forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume measured using spirometry have been shown to decrease, while wearing plate-carrier style body armor, little is known about the comprehensive effects of wearing body armor on pulmonary function, including lung capacities. Further, the effects of loaded body armor vs.

Inspiratory Muscle Rehabilitation Training in Pediatrics: What Is the Evidence?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is typically used for reducing respiratory symptoms and improving fitness and quality of life for patients with chronic lung disease. However, it is rarely prescribed and may be underused in pediatric conditions. Pulmonary rehabilitation can include inspiratory muscle training that improves the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles.

Mechanical effects of obesity on central and peripheral airway resistance in nonasthmatic early pubescent children.

Background: In children, obesity typically reduces functional residual capacity (FRC), which reduces airway caliber and increases airway resistance. Whether these obesity-related changes in respiratory function can alter bronchodilator responsiveness is unknown.

Objective: To investigate bronchodilator responsiveness in nonasthmatic children with and without obesity.

Sex differences in the ventilatory responses to exercise in mild to moderate obesity.

New Findings: What is the central question of the study? What are the sex differences in ventilatory responses during exercise in adults with obesity? What is the main finding and its importance? Tidal volume and expiratory flows are lower in females when compared with males at higher levels of ventilation despite small increases in end-expiratory lung volumes. Since dyspnoea on exertion is a frequent complaint, particularly in females with obesity, careful attention should be paid to unpleasant respiratory symptoms and mechanical ventilatory constraints while prescribing exercise.

Abstract: Obesity is associated with altered ventilatory responses, which may be exacerbated in females due to the functional consequences of sex-related morphological differences in the respiratory system.

Repeatability of dyspnea measurements during exercise in women with obesity.

While the 0-10 Borg scale to rate perceived breathlessness (RPB) is widely used to assess dyspnea on exertion, the repeatability of RPB in women with obesity is unknown. We examined the repeatability of RPB in women with obesity during submaximal constant-load cycling following at least 10 weeks of normal daily life. Seventeen women (37 ± 7 yr; 34.

Recruitment and Retention of Healthy Women with Obesity for a Psychophysiological Study before and After Weight Loss: Insights, Challenges, and Suggestions.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to present data on participant recruitment, retention, and weight loss success during a psychophysiological study in women with obesity.

Methods: Volunteers were women with obesity, 20 - 45 yr, with a BMI between 30 - 45 kg/m. The study was approximately 20 weeks in duration, including a 12-week weight loss program.

Dysanapsis in men and women with obesity.

Obesity alters chest wall mechanics, reduces lung volumes, and increases airway resistance. In addition, the luminal area of the larger conducting airways is smaller in women than in men when matched for lung size. We examined whether differences in pulmonary mechanics with obesity and sex were associated with the dysanapsis ratio (DR), an estimate of airway size when the expiratory flow is maximal, in men and women with and without obesity.

Respiratory and Perceptual Responses to High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Obese Adults.

Purpose: Although high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has emerged as an attractive alternative to continuous exercise (CE), the effects of HIIE on ventilatory constraints and dyspnea on exertion have not been studied in obese adults, and thus, tolerability of HIIE in obese adults is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in respiratory and perceptual responses between HIIE and CE in nonobese and obese adults.

Methods: Ten nonobese (5 men; 24.

Quantification and Verification of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults with Prehypertension.

Background: Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with increased risk of hypertension and atherosclerosis in adults with prehypertension. The purpose of this study was to quantify cardiorespiratory fitness and to examine the utility of supramaximal constant-load verification testing for validating maximal oxygen uptake (VO) attainment in adults with prehypertension.

Methods: Eleven adults (four women) with prehypertension (22.

Inhaled albuterol increases estimated ventilatory capacity in nonasthmatic children without and with obesity.

Forced mid-expiratory flow (i.e., isoFEF) may increase with a short-acting β-agonist in nonasthmatic children without bronchodilator responsiveness.

Effects of obesity on the oxygen cost of breathing in children.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of obesity on the oxygen (O) cost of breathing using the eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH) technique in 10- and 11-year-old children. Seventeen children (8 without and 9 with obesity) underwent EVH trials at two levels of ventilation for assessing the O cost of breathing (slope of oxygen uptake, V˙O vs. minute ventilation) and a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan.

Pitfalls in Expiratory Flow Limitation Assessment at Peak Exercise in Children: Role of Thoracic Gas Compression.

Purpose: Thoracic gas compression and exercise-induced bronchodilation can influence the assessment of expiratory flow limitation (EFL) during cardiopulmonary exercise tests. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of thoracic gas compression and exercise-induced bronchodilation on the assessment of EFL in children with and without obesity.

Methods: Forty children (10.

External dead space explains sex-differences in the ventilatory response to submaximal exercise in children with and without obesity.

We compared the exercise ventilatory response (slope of the ventilation, V̇ and carbon dioxide production, V̇CO relationship) in boys and girls with and without obesity. 46 children with obesity (BMI percentile: 97.7 ± 1.

Quantification of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Children with Obesity.

Purpose: Without consideration for the effects of fat mass, there could be an underestimation of cardiorespiratory fitness in children with obesity leading to a clinical diagnosis of deconditioning and resulting in unrealistic training goals and limitation of physical activities. The purpose of this study was to identify methods of quantifying cardiorespiratory fitness that were less influenced by fat mass.

Methods: Fifty-three children, 27 with obesity (10.

Weight loss reduces dyspnea on exertion and unpleasantness of dyspnea in obese men.

We hypothesized that weight loss would ameliorate dyspnea on exertion (DOE) and feelings of unpleasantness related to the DOE in obese men. Eighteen men (34 ± 7yr, 35 ± 4 kg/m BMI, mean ± SD) participated in a 12-week weight loss program. Body composition, pulmonary function, cardiorespiratory measures, DOE, and unpleasantness (visual analog scale) were assessed before and after weight loss.

Dyspnea on exertion provokes unpleasantness and negative emotions in women with obesity.

Purpose: While dyspnea on exertion (DOE) is a common complaint in otherwise healthy obese women, less is known about feelings of unpleasantness and/or negative emotions provoked by DOE. We examined whether ratings of perceived breathlessness (RPB) during exercise were associated with ratings of unpleasantness and negative emotions (depression, anxiety, frustration, anger, and fear) in obese women.

Methods: Seventy-four women (34 ± 7 yrs, 36 ± 4 kg/m, 46 ± 5% body fat) performed 6 min of constant-load cycling (60 W); RPB (0-10 scale), and unpleasantness and negative emotions (visual analog scales, 10 cm) were assessed at the end.

Cycling efficiency and energy cost of walking in young and older adults.

To determine whether age affects cycling efficiency and the energy cost of walking (Cw), 190 healthy adults, ages 18-81 yr, cycled on an ergometer at 50 W and walked on a treadmill at 1.34 m/s. Ventilation and gas exchange at rest and during exercise were used to calculate net Cw and net efficiency of cycling.