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Expiratory flow limitation and breathing strategies in overweight adolescents during submaximal exercise

International Journal of Obesity volume 38, pages 22–26 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate whether ventilatory factors limit exercise in overweight and obese children during a 6-min step test and to compare ventilatory responses during this test with those of healthy weight children.

Design:

Cross-sectional, prospective comparative study.

Subjects:

Twenty-six overweight/obese subjects and 25 healthy weight subjects with no known respiratory illness.

Measurements:

Various fatness and fat distribution parameters (using air displacement plethysmography and anthropometry), pulmonary function tests, breath-by-breath gas analysis during exercise, perceived exertion.

Results:

Young people who are overweight or obese are more likely to experience expiratory flow limitation (expFL) during submaximal exercise compared with their healthy weight peers [OR 7.2 (1.4, 37.3), P=0.019]. Subjects who had lower lung volumes at rest were even more likely to experience exercise-induced expFLs [OR 8.35 (1.4–49.3)]. Both groups displayed similar breathing strategies during submaximal exercise.

Conclusion:

Young people who are overweight/obese are more likely to display expFL during submaximal exercise compared with children of healthy weight . Use of compensatory breathing strategies appeared to enable overweight children to avoid the experience of breathlessness at this intensity of exercise.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation Clinical Project Grant. We wish to acknowledge the contribution of Diane Awcock who assisted with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    N Gibson & N Bear

  2. School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    K Johnston

  3. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    S Stick & G L Hall

  4. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    S Stick & G L Hall

  5. School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    S Stick & K Logie

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  1. N Gibson
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  2. K Johnston
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  3. N Bear
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  4. S Stick
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  6. G L Hall
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to N Gibson.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Gibson, N., Johnston, K., Bear, N. et al. Expiratory flow limitation and breathing strategies in overweight adolescents during submaximal exercise. Int J Obes 38, 22–26 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.137

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.137

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