Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the association between lung function and exercise capacity in healthy Norwegian men

Abstract

[...]we examined the longitudinal association between lung function indices and exercise capacity, assessed by the total amount of work performed on a standardized incremental test, in a cohort of middle-aged men. To our knowledge, the impact of normal age-related decrease in lung function parameters on maximum exercise capacity in healthy middle-aged and young people has not previously been examined in a longitudinal study. [...]we wanted to investigate whether lung function indices were associated with maximum exercise capacity, assessed through physical fitness, in middle-aged, healthy subjects. [31], as they demonstrated that relatively larger lungs are required for increased endurance capacity in rats. [...]this relationship was strengthened at the follow-up survey, which was reflected in larger variation in lung function values at follow-up, with decreased values in some of the subjects. In such a situation, the decline in lung function is not expected to be associated with the decline in exercise capacity. [...]the design of our study with a rigorous selection of individuals with only normal spirometry values may also have limited the magnitude of changes in lung function.