THE EFFECT OF CHRONIC EXERCISE ON LUNG FUNCTION AND BASAL METABOLIC RATE IN SOME NIGERIAN ATHLETES

The present study was carried out to investigate and establish any relationship between chronic exercise and lung function as well as basal oxygen consumption rate in a Nigerian setting. This was done by determining some lung volumes and capacities (tidal volume, TV, forced vital capacity, FVC, and forced expiratory volume in the first second FEV₁%) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) in athletes and non-athletes. A total of 45 students from the University of Lagos were studied. 20 were athletes who had exercised daily in the past 2-3 years, and the remaining 25 were non-exercising non-athletes who served as controls. The subjects were divided into male and female groups. Results from the study showed that TV and FVC, but not FEV were significantly higher in male athletes than in male non-athletes. TV, FVC and FEV were not significantly different in the two female groups. BMR was not found to be significantly different in athletes and their non-exercising counterparts in both sexes. These results suggest that the respiratory functional capacity of athletes in Nigeria could be generally superior to that of non-athletes as a result of increased development of respiratory musculature incidental to the physical training whose intensity is a strong determining factor. The enhanced respiratory functional capacity however does not lead to an enhancement of their basal metabolic functions.