Changes in Ventilatory Response to Exercise in Trained Athletes: Respiratory Physiological Benefits Beyond Cardiovascular Performance

Introduction: The beneficial impact of an 8-month competitive season on the ventilatory profile response to exercise in soccer players has never been evaluated. Material and methods: Ventilatory profile (evaluated by determining individual tidal volume [V-T] relative to minute ventilation [V-E] inflection points during exercise) and metabolic responses to incremental exercise were evaluated in 2 professional soccer teams before and after an 8-month competitive season. Results: No differences between teams in anthropometric characteristics or in resting cardiopulmonary variables, included oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR), before and during the competitive season were found. At iso-speed, there were overall improvements in carbon dioxide output (VCO2), V-E/VO2, V-E/VCO2, V-E and respiratory frequency (fR) during the season. The V-T/V-E inflection points 1 and 2 occurred with greater exercise time, HR, VO2, VCO2, V-E and V-T during the competitive season. Conclusions: Despite very high baseline performance and a negligible improvement in VO2, an 8-month competitive season improved ventilatory profile response to exercise in elite athletes. (C) 2016 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.