Exercise-induced oxyhemoglobin desaturation and pulmonary diffusing capacity during high-intensity exercise.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine if exercise-induced arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation selectively observed in highly trained endurance athletes could be related to differences in the pulmonary diffusing capacity (DL) measured during exercise. The DL of 24 male endurance athletes was measured using a 3-s breath-hold carbon monoxide procedure (to give DLCO) at rest as well as during cycling at 60% and 90% of these previously determined VO2max. Oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2%) was monitored throughout both exercise protocols using an Ohmeda Biox II oximeter. Exercise-induced oxyhemoglobin desaturation (DS) (SaO2% < 91% at VO2max) was observed in 13 subjects [88.2 (0.6)%] but not in the other 11 nondesaturation subjects [NDS: 92.9 (0.4)%] (P < or = 0.05), although VO2max was not significantly different between the groups [DS: 4.34 (0.65) l/min vs NDS: 4.1 (0.49) l/min]. At rest, no differences in either DLCO [ml CO.mmHg-1.min-1: 41.7 (1.7) (DS) vs 41.1 (1.8) (NDS)], DLCO/VA [8.2 (0.4) (DS) vs 7.3 (0.9) (NDS)], MVV [l/min: 196.0 (10.4) (DS) vs 182.0 (9.9) (NDS)] or FEV1/FVC [86.3 (2.2) (DS) vs 82.9 (4.7) (NDS)] were found between groups (P > or = 0.05). However, VE/VO2 at VO2max was lower in the DS group [33.0 (1.1)] compared to the NDS group [36.8 (1.5)] (P < or = 0.05). Exercise DLCO (ml CO.mmHg-1.min-1) was not different between groups at either 60% VO2max [DS: 55.1 (1.4) vs NDS: 57.2 (2.1)] or at 90% VO2max [DS: 61.0 (1.8) vs NDS: 61.4 (2.9)]. A significant relationship (r = 0.698) was calculated to occur between SaO2% and VE/VO2 during maximal exercise. The present findings indicate that the exercise-induced oxyhemoglobin desaturation seen during submaximal and near-maximal exercise is not related to differences in DL, although during maximal exercise SaO2 may be limited by a relatively lower exercise ventilation.