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Hind, Alanna Susan

University of British Columbia

Introduction: Elite female endurance athletes may be more susceptible to pulmonary limitations during exercise, such as exercise-induced arterial hypoxaemia (EIAH) when compared to males. Physiological mechanisms underlying EIAH in females are not fully understood, but may be related to pulmonary oedema development. This study examined pulmonary oedema and EIAH in male and female endurance athletes in a real-world environment. Methods: Twenty participants (10M vs. 10F; V̇ O₂: 68±8 vs. 52±5 ml∙kgˉ¹∙minˉ¹) performed spirometry and a maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill (visit 1) followed by a maximal time trial on the Grouse Grind ® trail (2.9km, 800m elevation gain) in North Vancouver (visit 2). Only nineteen participants completed visit 2 (nine females) due to seasonal closures of the Grouse Grind ® trail. Pulmonary oedema was assessed 10 minutes following exercise using handheld lung ultrasound. Oxygen saturation (SpO₂), an index of EIAH, was recorded using finger pulse oximetry. Results: Average exercise duration and heart rate during the maximal time trial were 33.2±4.9min and 171±10bpm, and 39.3±3.4min and 174±8bpm for males and females respectively. The majority of participants developed EIAH at peak exercise (Mild: M:1, F:3; Moderate: M:7, F:2; Severe: M:2, F:4) with no sex differences in SpO₂ (M: 89±6% vs. F: 90±2%, respectively, p=0.30). There were no differences in post-exercise pulmonary oedema assessed using ultrasound b-line scores between males and females (0.9±1.1 vs. 1.9±2.2, respectively, p=0.60). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a maximal time trial did not result in the development of pulmonary oedema in either male or female participants, while both sexes demonstrated similar development of EIAH at peak exercise. These findings add to our understanding of the physiological responses to exercise between sexes and highlights a need to investigate alternative mechanisms underlying previously documented sex differences in EIAH.

Text

2024-01-10

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/87198

Rehabilitation Sciences

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/