Exercise, regardless of induced bronchoconstriction or inspired air conditions, does not alter airway reactivity

The effects of exercise on asthmatic airway caliber are well recognized. Only a few studies, however, evaluated the effects of prior exercise on asthmatic airway reactivity. Eight asthmatic children (ages 10 to 16 years; mean, 12) performed histamine inhalation tests on three occasions assigned in random order: (1) control; (2) 40 to 60 min after exercise (6 min ergometer cycling) done while breathing cold dry (CD) air (temperature = -13°C, relative humidity=0 percent); and (3) 40 to 60 min after exercise done while breathing warm humid (WH) air (temperature = 33°C, relative humidity = 100 percent). While there was a marked exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in the CD test with a postexercise fall in FEV₁ of 39.2±8 percent (mean±SEM), there was no EIB in the WH test (4.6±2 percent). There was no difference, however, in the geometric mean histamine concentration required to produce a 20 percent fall in FEV₁ (PC20) among the CD, WH, and control tests (0.52 mg/ml, 0.60 mg/ml, and 0.55 mg/ml, respectively). Airway reactivity in asthmatic children is not influenced by a prior exercise challenge, independent of the conditions of the inspired air during the exercise. Moreover, exercise per se, regardless of development of EIB, does not change the reactivity.