The objective of this study was to apply extended NO analysis for measurements of NO dynamics in the lung, divided into alveolar and airway contribution, in amateur runners and marathoners.
The athletes participated in either a marathon or a half marathon. The athletes self-reported their age, weight, height, training distance per week, competing distance, cardio-pulmonary health, atopic status, and use of tobacco. Measurements of exhaled NO (F ENO) with estimation of alveolar NO (C ANO) and airway flux (J awNO), ventilation, pulse oximetry, and peak flow were performed before, immediately after, and 1 hour after completing the race.
At baseline the alveolar NO was higher in amateur runners, 2.9 ± 1.1 ppb ( p = 0.041), and marathoners, 3.6 ± 1.9 ppb ( p = 0.002), than in control subjects, 1.4 ± 0.5 ppb. J awNO was higher in marathoners, 0.90 ± 0.02 nL s −1 ( p = 0.044), compared with controls, 0.36 ± 0.02 nL s −1, whereas the increase in amateur runners, 0.56 ± 0.02 nL s −1, did not attain statistical significance ( p = 0.165). Immediately after the race there was a decrease in F ENO in both amateur runners and marathoners, whereas C ANO and J awNO were decreased in marathoners only.