INTRODUCTION: Exercise is an important part of keeping adolescents healthy. The prevalence of obesity-related hypertension, in children and adolescents is on the rise. Exercise regimen can reverse or retard the rate of progression from prehypertension to hypertension in adolescents. The incidence of lung diseases including bronchial asthma is high in adolescent age group. There are gender differences in cardiopulmonary changes with exercise. The pulmonary function testing during exercise is often used for further assessment and determining the degree of airway impairment and response to treatment. The present study was performed to study the effect of various intensity of exercise on cardiopulmonary variables and to evaluate quantitative relationship between the variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is carried out in a group of 100 healthy First year medical students of both sexes, who were not regular athletes. The subjects being medical students presented an added advantage of belonging to matching age groups of between 18-21 years of comparable physical standards and also medically screened at the time of admission. Before undertaking the exercise regimen blood hemoglobin concentration, RMV, MVV, FVC, FEV1, PEFR, RR, HR and Blood Pressure (BP) were determined in all the subjects. Then the subject exercised on a bicycle ergometer with incremental loads. The Pulse Rate of the subject is noted and mentioned as the heart rate per minute. During the exercise the pulse was monitored by a pulse Oximeter. Blood Pressure was manually measured using standard mercury sphygmomanometer. The recordings before exercise, during exercise and 30 minutes after end of exercise of FVC, FEV-1 and PEFR were measured using a digital spirometer. RESULTS: All the observations recorded in Group-A (Boys) subjects and of Group-B (Girls) subjects were noted. The arithmetical mean, standard deviation and standard error were calculated for each parameter. Paired`t' Test was done and the degree of relationship between the variables was assessed by finding the coefficient of correlation. The results of study demonstrated that high intensity exercise produced significant changes in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. The rise in heart rate in Group-A subjects was 120% (P<0.001) and in Group-B subjects was 116% (P<0.001). Study demonstrated an increase of systolic blood pressure in Group-A subjects by 26. 64% (P<0.001) during exercise and in Group-B subjects the increase was 27.24% (P<0.001). The diastolic blood pressure in our study showed a minimal decrease. In Group-A subjects the decrease of diastolic blood pressure was 2.99% (P<0.001) and in Group-B subjects the decrease was 2.96% (P<0.001). Exercise induced bronchospasm in asthmatics cause airway obstruction leading to fall in PEFR values with exercise. However in normal subjects there is no airway obstruction seen in mild and moderate exercise SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: cardiovascular variables of Heart Rate and Systolic and the diastolic pressure varied depending on the severity of exercise. Moderate exercise regimen may reduce diastolic pressure and the rate of progression from prehypertension to hypertension in adolescents. Measurement of pulmonary function subsequent to exercise could provide useful information about the function reserve capacity of lung and control of breathing both in healthy person and in patients with pulmonary disorders. There were no significant changes in values of pulmonary variables like FVC. However FEV-1 increased in both Groups. Pulmonary function testing is often used for assessment and determining the degree of airway impairment.
