The impact of breathing route on pulmonary and sensory responses to ozone exposure during exercise in adults

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Abstract
Ozone (O 3 ) is a photochemical air pollutant known to reduce lung function and induce respiratory symptoms. This study aimed to determine whether breathing route influences O 3 ‐induced lung function changes during exercise. Thirteen recreationally active participants (6 females, V̇O 2 peak = 45.8 ± 5.3 mL/kg/min), with no history of cardiovascular or pulmonary disease or exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction, completed a double‐blind crossover study with four experimental visits. Participants performed 30 min of low‐intensity cycling (90% of power at the first ventilatory threshold) while breathing exclusively nasally or orally under room air or 0.40 ppm O 3 . Spirometry was assessed before and after each trial, and dyspnea (Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile) every 5 min during exercise. O 3 exposure impaired pulmonary function, reducing FEV 1 , FVC, PEF, FEF25–75, and FEV 1 /FVC (all p < 0.05). Regardless of environmental condition, oral breathing produced modestly greater post‐exercise reductions in FEV 1 , PEF, FEF25–75, and FEV 1 /FVC than nasal breathing, but no breathing route × environment interaction was observed. Nasal breathing was associated with greater breathing effort and air hunger ( p < 0.05). Thus, O 3 exposure impaired pulmonary function and increased dyspnea regardless of breathing route. Although nasal breathing slightly attenuated overall post‐exercise lung function decline, it did not protect against O 3 ‐induced pulmonary impairment and increased breathing discomfort during exercise.
Funding Information
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP BEPE N°2023/17947‐2)
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP N°2022/04960‐8)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN‐2024‐04123)
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RTI‐2021‐00091)

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