Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Muscular Endurance Fitness With Pulmonary Function in Physically Active Young Adults.

Rationale: While the beneficial effects of physical fitness on general health are well-documented, the specific relationship between different types of physical fitness, particularly cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular endurance fitness (MEF), and lung function in physically active young adults remains less explored.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between CRF and MEF, and their correlation with lung function in physically active young adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved a cohort of 1227 physically active young adults without lung diseases. Lung function was assessed using FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC measurements. The 3000-m run was used to assess CRF, and the 2-min push-up and sit-up tests were used to assess MEF. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between these fitness measures and lung function, adjusting for potential covariates.

Results: Enhanced CRF was associated with superior FEV₁ and FVC after adjusting for covariates (β=-.078, p=.015 for FEV₁; β=-.086, p=.009 for FVC). Push-ups were positively associated with FEV₁ (β=.102, p=.014), but not with FVC. In contrast, sit-ups showed no significant correlation with lung function in the fully adjusted model.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated a clear association between improved physical fitness and better lung function in physically active young adults, with various exercises showing distinct associations with lung metrics. Notably, push-ups were particularly associated with higher FEV₁. A future prospective study is necessary to determine whether routine exercises, such as push-ups, might lead to greater lung function.