Physical activity and its effect on forced expiratory volume.

OBJECTIVE

To assess and compare changes in pulmonary functions before and after exercise in young healthy adults.

METHODS

The case-control study was carried out from January to March 2010 on 292 medical students aged 18-24 years at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi. Baseline values for forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured with a digital spirometer, and the FEV1: FVC ratio was calculated. The lung functions of group I comprising 192 volunteers after aerobic exercise of 30 minutes daily, for five days over eight weeks, was compared with group II having 100 controls who did not participate in any physical activity. SPSS 15 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULT

At the end of eight weeks, there was a significant rise in FEV1 (2.49 +/- 0.82 to 2.59 +/- 0.79 liters), decline in FVC (2.80 +/- 0.92 to 2.7 +/- 0.87 liters) and an increase in the FEV1: FVC ratio (89.52 +/-12.66 to 95.56 +/- 13.42) in group I students.

CONCLUSION

Improvement in pulmonary functions was noticed as a result of physical activity.