ARTICOLI ORIGINALI   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2014 November;173(11):557-66

Copyright © 2014 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Truncal fat mass increases breathlessness during moderate intensity cycle ergometry in physically active obese adult females

Herrick J. E. ¹, Kirk E. P. ², Sharp B. M. ²

¹ George Mason University, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Fairfax, VA, USA; ² Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, Edwardsville, IL, USA

AIM: Obesity reduces exercise ventilatory efficiency (↑V·E/V·CO2) through increased metabolic cost of breathing and reduced pulmonary capacity, which may contribute to exercise induced breathlessness; a commonly reported physiologically barrier to exercise. This study examined the relationship between exercise exertion induced breathlessness, ventilatory efficiency, body composition, and exercise mode between lean (LN) and obese (OB) females.
METHODS: Twenty-females participated (Mean ±SE: LN n=10, BMI=22.8±0.6, OB n=10, BMI=38.6±1.4 kg/m2). Each participant completed same day randomized and counterbalanced treadmill (TM) and cycle ergomtery (CE) exercise to 6 METS or 75% of predicted HRmax.
RESULTS: V·E/V·CO2 was significantly different between groups on CE and between modes within OB (CE LN 23.6±1.2,OB 27.8±0.5; TM LN 23.8±0.5, OB 25.9±0.7 V·E/V·CO2). OB reported significantly greater exercise induced dyspnea than LN during CE (LN 1.6±.36,OB 3.2±.38) which was primarily associated with TF (P≤ 0.00, r=0.796).
CONCLUSION: Ventilatory efficiency was reduced during CE and not TM within our obese female group; however breathlessness was primarily associated with truncal fat mass. Clinicians and exercise professionals may reduce the severity of breathlessness and subsequently support greater physical activity enjoyment and adherence through the prescription of upright exercise for obese females.