PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Philipp A. Eichenberger
AU  - Andrea Kurzen
AU  - Stephanie N. Diener
AU  - Thomas A. Scherer
AU  - Christina M. Spengler
TI  - Repetitive, intense hyperpnea to reduce bronchial reactivity in asthmatics – A pilot study
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA2273
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA2273
VI  - 48
IP  - suppl 60
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA2273.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA2273.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48
AB  - Exercise training was shown to have positive effects on asthma characteristics and symptoms (Eichenberger et al., Sports Med, 2013). The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. One aspect may be repetitive airway stretching with increased ventilation during exercise. The aim of the present pilot was to test whether repetitive, intense deep breathing would positively affect bronchial hyperreactivity and airway inflammation.Seven subjects(age: 24±4 years; FEV1: 91±12% pred.) with mild-moderate (but no seasonal or uncontrolled) asthma participated in this study. Prior to and after a 11-week intervention, lung function, bronchial response to a Mannitol challenge (PD15 and RDR FEV1) and exhaled NO (eNO) were assessed. All tests were performed after withdrawal of medication. The intervention included fourty 30-min sessions of normocapnic hyperpnea with warm and humid air (4-5x/wk) at 60-81% of maximal voluntary ventilation.After the intervention, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PD15, p=0.063; reduction in all subjects; FEV1-decrease at isodose, p=0.021, reduction in all subjects; RDR FEV1, p=0.016; reduction in all subjects), and airway inflammation (eNO, p=0.011; reduction in 6/7 subjects) were reduced.This data indicates that repetitive airway stretching and respiratory muscle work present during exercise may partially contribute to the positive effects of exercise on characteristics of asthma. Also, the data shows the potential of repetitive hyperpnea as a non-pharmacological tool to improve bronchial sensitivity, reactivity and airway inflammation.