The Protective Effects of Continuous and Interval Exercise on Athletes with Exercise Induced Asthma

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect of two forms of
warm-up on post exercise bronchoconstriction in athletes with exerciseinduced asthma. Twelve moderately trained persons with asthma were tested under three experimental conditions: continuous warm-up (CW), interval warm-up (IW), and control (C). CW consisted of 15 minutes of
treadmill running at a velocity corresponding to 60% VO2 max followed by an exercise challenge test (ET = 6 minutes at 90% VO2 max). IW involved 8 x 30 seconds runs (1.5 minutes rest between bouts of exercise), at an intensity equivalent to 100% VO2 max, followed by an ET. C consisted
of only the ET. FEV1, FVC, and MMEFR were measured prior to the experimental conditions, repeated before the ET, and every 2 minutes during a 25 – minute passive recovery period, using a Breon spirometer. Post-exercise changes in pulmonary function were recorded as the largest
decrease in FEV, FVC, and MMEFR during the recovery period, and expressed as a percentage of baseline values. Significant differences were detected in % FEV1, % FVC and %MMEFR, in comparing C, CW, and IW, respectively. Scheffe’s test detected significance between C and CW for
all three dependent variables, no statistical significance between C and IW or IW and CW occurred. These data indicate that a continuous warmup of 15 minutes at 60% VO2 max can significantly decrease post exercise bronchoconstriction in moderately trained athletes.