CHANGES IN LUNG FUNCTION TESTING ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY

Excess bodyweight has an important impact on the physiology of breathing. In fact, it affects resting lung volumes and exercise capacity. These effects appear as a consequence of ventilatory and inflammatory changes commonly associated to obesity. As a result, obese individuals have a rapid and shallow pattern of breathing, their respiratory compliance is reduced and the airway resistance tends to be higher. However, with respect to aerobic capacity, contradictory results have been reported depending on the way peak oxygen uptake is expressed. Moreover, the inability of this population to achieve maximal efforts during exercise testing also affects their cardiorespiratory fitness.