Physical sport training acutely affects the respiratory apparatus based on the type and level of exercise that follows it. Pulmonary function is a critical parameter in approximating the physical fitness and ventilatory capacity of athletes, particularly high-performance track athletes.¹ Sprint running and endurance running are quite different in terms of metabolic demand and energy supply. Sprinters rely largely on anaerobic energy systems, which involve high-intensity, short-duration activity and utilize lower oxygen consumption.² Endurance runners, however, apply aerobic metabolism, which calls for adequate oxygen supply and utilization for long duration.³

Repeated exposure to sustained aerobic exercise during distance running leads to adaptations in terms of increased lung volumes, increased alveolar ventilation, and improved respiratory muscle efficiency.⁴ Sprint training enhances neuromuscular coordination and muscular strength but may not elicit pulmonary adaptations as significantly.⁵ Estimating the relative impact of these modes of training on pulmonary function parameters is helpful for optimizing athletic performance and training regimens.⁶ This study tends to contrast pulmonary function parameters between trained sprinters and long-distance runners to establish the physiological adaptations resulting from different training types.

Approval for the present study was obtained from institutional ethics committee. The study was conducted on runners from a local sports complex (Krida Sankul) in collaboration with Department of Physiology of a Medical college situated in a metropolitan city in Maharashtra. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 male track athletes aged 18-25 years. Participants were divided into two groups:

Table 1: Group wise Division of Participants

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-25 years
• Minimum 2 years uninterrupted athletic training
• No respiratory or cardiovascular disease history

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smokers
• Recent respiratory infection (<1 month)
• Asthma or other chronic pulmonary disease

Pulmonary Function Testing: All the subjects were tested for pulmonary function with a calibrated computerized spirometer (RMS Helios 401) in accordance with American Thoracic Society guidelines.⁷ The following parameters were examined:

• Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
• Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1)
• FEV1/FVC ratio
• Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)
• Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV)

Each test was done thrice and the best result recorded. Tests were done in the morning to eliminate diurnal variation. Height and weight were recorded for the measurement of BMI.

Statistical Analysis: Data were processed using SPSS v26.0. Mean and standard deviation were calculated. Independent t-test was applied for comparison between groups. p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Table 2: Baseline Characteristics of Study Groups

Table 3: Comparison of Pulmonary Function Parameters

Table 4: Percentage Predicted Values of PFT Parameters

Table 5: Correlation of BMI with Pulmonary Parameters

Graph 1: Comparison of Pulmonary function parameters between groups

Graph 2A shows the negative correlation between BMI and FVC,

Graph 2B illustrates the negative correlation between BMI and MVV

The results of this study confirm several significant observations regarding pulmonary function in sprinters versus long-distance runners.

Table 2 compares baseline characteristics of the study groups. While age and height were the same, sprinters were heavier and had higher BMI compared with long-distance runners. This provides critical insight into the physical context of their respective sporting specialty.

Table 3 and Table 4 show that the long-distance runners had considerably superior pulmonary parameters—FVC, FEV₁, PEFR, and MVV—both in value and as a percentage predicted. This reflects enhanced respiratory function most likely as a result of the aerobic nature of their training.

Statistically significant negative correlation of BMI with significant pulmonary parameters, particularly with FVC and MVV, is presented in Table 5. This means that greater BMI is associated with worse lung function. These correlations are also presented graphically in Graph 2A and 2B, where a clear downward trend in both FVC and MVV is observed with rising BMI.

These findings highlight the positive effect of aerobic training on lung function. Distance runners undergo chronic respiratory loading due to the repeated and sustained ventilatory work experienced during aerobic training, which makes the diaphragm, chest wall compliance, and alveolar expansion stronger.⁷ These adaptations result in increased lung volumes and ventilatory efficiency.⁸

The higher FVC and FEV₁ in distance runners compared to sprinters are explained by the higher pulmonary compliance and muscular endurance as a result of extended submaximal aerobic exercise.⁹ Sprinting involves anaerobic energy expenditure during short impulses, however, which is not adequate for long-term respiratory adaptation.¹⁰

The significantly higher MVV in endurance athletes reflects better ventilatory muscle endurance and the capacity to ventilate more quickly, both of which are required for prolonged exercise.¹¹ PEFR, another measure of expiratory muscle strength, was also higher in long-distance runners, again reflecting their better respiratory mechanics.¹²

These findings agree with other findings. Ohya et al. reported greater FVC and MVV in endurance athletes compared to power sport athletes.¹³ Armstrong and Welsman also observed significantly increased pulmonary capacities of distance runners, agreeing with findings in this study.¹⁴

The physiological underpinnings of these adaptations are chronic elevations in alveolar ventilation, tidal volume, and mitochondrial density in respiratory muscles induced by aerobic training.¹⁵ Enhanced capillary density and effective perfusion also underlie increased gas exchange capacity in endurance athletes.¹⁶

Furthermore, the opposite correlation between lung function and BMI can also be attributed to the mechanical repercussions of augmented adiposity. Excess body fat deposited on the abdominal and thoracic walls may reduce diaphragmatic excursion and thoracic compliance, ultimately restricting lung expansion.¹⁷ Studies have confirmed that obesity subjects have reduced lung volumes and ventilatory reserve.¹⁸

Of particular interest, in spite of a higher BMI in sprinters, their absolute MVV and FVC were still within normal parameters, suggesting an ability of short-term, high-intensity exercise to maintain respiratory function. Effects are less pronounced, however, compared with aerobic conditioning.¹⁹

In summary, this current study demonstrates that endurance athletes, through chronic exposure to aerobics, become more highly provisioned with pulmonary function than anaerobically trained sprinters. These findings are physiologically sound and supported by prior literature.

Pulmonary function is considerably better in endurance runners than in sprinters, likely due to sustained aerobic exercise that induces adaptive respiratory changes. These findings stress the importance of incorporating aerobic elements into exercise programs in sports competitions to improve respiratory health and endurance.

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