Abstract
Introduction Pulmonary function is lower after a severe burn injury, which could influence ventilatory responses during exercise. It is unclear whether exercise training improves pulmonary function or ventilatory responses during exercise in adults with well-healed burn injuries. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that exercise training improves pulmonary function and ventilatory responses during exercise in adults with well-healed burn injuries. Methods Thirty-nine adults (28 with well-healed burn injuries and 11 non-burn-injured controls) completed 6 months of unsupervised, progressive exercise training including endurance, resistance, and high-intensity interval components. Before and after exercise training, we performed comprehensive pulmonary function testing and measured ventilatory responses during cycling exercise. We compared variables using two-way ANOVA (group-time; i.e., preexercise/postexercise training (repeated factor)). Results Exercise training did not increase percent predicted spirometry, lung diffusing capacity, or airway resistance measures (time: P ≥ 0.14 for all variables). However, exercise training reduced minute ventilation (VE; time: P ≤ 0.05 for 50 and 75 W) and the ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2; time: P < 0.001 for 75 W) during fixed-load exercise for both groups. The ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide (VE/VCO2) during exercise at 75 W was reduced after exercise training (time: P = 0.04). The percentage of age-predicted maximum heart rate at the ventilatory threshold was lower in adults with well-healed burn injuries before (P = 0.002), but not after (P = 0.22), exercise training. Lastly, exercise training increased VEand reduced VE/VO2during maximal exercise (time: P = 0.005 for both variables). Conclusions These novel findings demonstrate that exercise training can improve ventilatory responses during exercise in adults with well-healed burn injuries.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 765-776 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Medicine and science in sports and exercise |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1 2023 |
Keywords
- Inhalation Injury
- Lung Diffusing Capacity
- Lung Volumes
- Maximal Voluntary Ventilation
- Spirometry
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine