Leisure-time vigorous physical activity is associated with better lung function: The prospective ECRHS study

OBJECTIVE: We assessed associations between physical activity and lung function, and its decline, in the prospective population-based European Community Respiratory Health Survey cohort. METHODS: FEV1 and FVC were measured in 3912 participants at 27-57 years and 39-67 years (mean time between examinations=11.1 years). Physical activity frequency and duration were assessed using questionnaires and used to identify active individuals (physical activity ≥2 times and ≥1 hour per week) at each examination. Adjusted mixed linear regression models assessed associations of regular physical activity with FEV1 and FVC. RESULTS: Physical activity frequency and duration increased over the study period. In adjusted models, active individuals at the first examination had higher FEV1 (43.6 mL (95% CI 12.0 to 75.1)) and FVC (53.9 mL (95% CI 17.8 to 89.9)) at both examinations than their non-active counterparts. These associations appeared restricted to current smokers. In the whole population, FEV1 and FVC were higher among those who changed from inactive to active during the follow-up (38.0 mL (95% CI 15.8 to 60.3) and 54.2 mL (95% CI 25.1 to 83.3), respectively) and who were consistently active, compared with those consistently non-active. No associations were found for lung function decline. CONCLUSION: Leisure-time vigorous physical activity was associated with higher FEV1 and FVC over a 10-year period among current smokers, but not with FEV1 and FVC decline.This project has received funding from the european Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-curie individual Fellowship scheme (elaine Fuertes, H2020- MSca-iF-2015; proposal number 704268). the present analyses are part of the ageing lungs in european cohorts (alec) Study (www.alecstudy.org), which has also received funding from the european Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 633212. the local investigators and funding agencies for the european community respiratory Health Survey (ecrHS ii and ecrHS iii) are reported in the online supplementary file