Human lung density is not altered following normoxic and hypoxic moderate-intensity exercise: implications for transient edema

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on extravascular lung water as it may relate to pulmonary gas exchange. Ten male humans underwent measures of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2 max) in two conditions: normoxia (N) and normobaric hypoxia of 15% O2 (H). Lung density was measured by quantified MRI before and 48.0 ± 7.4 and 100.7 ± 15.1 min following 60 min of cycling exercise in N (intensity = 61.6 ± 9.5% V̇o2 max) and 55.5 ± 9.8 and 104.3 ± 9.1 min following 60 min cycling exercise in H (intensity = 65.4 ± 7.1% hypoxic V̇o2 max), where V̇o2 max = 65.0 ± 7.5 ml·kg−1·min−1 (N) and 54.1 ± 7.0 ml·kg−1·min−1 (H). Two subjects demonstrated mild exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) [minimum arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2 min) = 94.5% and 93.8%], and seven subjects demonstrated moderate EIAH (SaO2 min = 91.4 ± 1.1%) as measured noninvasively during the V̇o2 max test in N. Mean lung densities, measured once preexercise and twice postexercise, were 0.177 ± 0.019, 0.181 ± 0.019, and 0.173 ± 0.019 g/ml (N) and 0.178 ± 0.021, 0.174 ± 0.022, and 0.176 ± 0.019 g/ml (H), respectively. No significant differences ( P > 0.05) were found in lung density following exercise in either condition or between conditions. Transient interstitial pulmonary edema did not occur following sustained steady-state cycling exercise in N or H, indicating that transient edema does not result from pulmonary capillary leakage during sustained submaximal exercise.