20th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Lung Capacity of Swimmers vs. Track Runners
Thomas M. Applegate* and Whitney A. Jensen♦
Dr. Alex J. Koch, Faculty Mentor
Air quality is a concern within indoor aquatic environments due to chlorine byproducts contaminating the air. Patrons breathing this contaminated air may experience obstructions in their upper respiratory tract. This study compared lung function, as expressed by forced expiratory volume in 1s: forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), between trained swimmers and runners. Subjects were 18 to 23 year old male and female Truman State University swim team and track team members; both sprinters and distance athletes. The subjects did not eat or exercise two-hours prior to performing a FEV1/FVC test using a hand held spirometer. A higher ratio, indicating less obstruction to air flow, was found in the track athletes (p =.004). The significant difference between the groups is believed to result from an obstructed airway in the swimmers caused by chlorine inhalation. More research, using a larger sample, is needed to confirm this finding
Keywords: FEV1, Swim, Track, Lung , Chlorine, FVC, Air, Flow
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 2-4
Location: OP Lobby
Time: 4:15 pm
♦ Indicates Truman Graduate Student