D Dooeess s siinnggllee d doossee s saallmmeetteerrooll a affffeecctt e exxeerrcciissee c caappaacciittyy iinn a asstthhmmaattiicc m meenn??

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the long-acting beta- agonist salmeterol affects athletic performance in patients with asthma. The effect of 50 µg salmeterol on the cardiorespiratory responses to a progres- sive maximal cycle exercise test and on endurance capacity (defined as the exercise duration at 70% maximum oxygen uptake), was compared with 200 µg salbutamol and a matched placebo in eight asthmatic men. Both salmeterol and salbutamol improved pre- and postexercise forced expira- tory volume in one second (FEV1) for maximal and endurance exercise. Following active treatment, patients exercised from a significantly high baseline FEV1, with both salmeterol (3.58(1.16) l) (mean (SD)) and salbutamol (3.55(1.24) l) compared with placebo (3.29(1.35) l). Similar improvements preceded endurance exercise. Cardiorespiratory, haemodynamic or subjective responses to the progressive max- imum exercise tests were not different with salmeterol, salbutamol or placebo, nor did endurance capacity change with any treatment modality. Blood lactate levels, after 15 min exercise, were significantly higher with salbutamol (3.64 (1.83) mM), but not with salmeterol (3.03 (1.64 ) mM), compared with placebo (2.95 (1.69) mM). These results demonstrate the absence of significant cardiorespiratory or meta- bolic effects during exercise after a single dose of salmeterol, together with a lack- of ergogenic effect, as measured by maximal or endurance exercise performance, in patients with asthma.