Can Exercise And Weight Loss Improve Your Spirometry Test Results?

Spirometry tests evaluate your ability to breathe. Your doctor ordered a spirometry test to determine the extent of COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or other respiratory conditions, and she might use this test during office visits to assess the efficacy of your current treatment. Spirometry measures how much air you inhale and exhale, as well as how fast you can exhale. Low spirometry readings indicate diminished lung capacity. Exercise, essential to losing weight, also increases your lung capacity, according to MayoClinic.com.

Spirometry

The function of spirometry is to assess the progression of disease and the therapeutic value of treatment, and to gain an overall view of your lung capacity. The goal of therapy is not necessarily to improve test results but rather to reduce the measurable impact the disease has on your body. Exercise and weight loss can improve many respiratory diseases that result in poor lung capacity and low spirometry readings.

Obesity

Obese people might have diminished lung capacity but scientists still do not understand the mechanism that holds these two conditions in close association, according to a study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology." The journal "Chest" published results from the Jackson Heart Study that suggests fat surrounding your heart is associated with lower lung function.

COPD

COPD is an umbrella term covering many respiratory diseases, including emphysema and bronchitis. The shortness of breath associated with emphysema might make eating difficult, causing you to lose weight. You might even begin to lose muscle mass and grow too weak to exercise. Weight loss and exercise might not improve spirometry readings for people with COPD, especially in the advanced stages of the disease when substantial muscle waste occurs.

Asthma

The prevalence of both asthma and obesity has risen substantially in the past few decades, according to the "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology," leading scientists to explore the associated incidence of these two medical conditions. Exercise and weight loss pose special problems for a person with asthma. You might experience exercise-induced asthma in which shortness of breath, or dyspnea, prevents you from continuing in those physical activities that promote weight loss.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a buildup of scar tissue in the lungs. A patient with this disease experiences rapid weight loss and muscle weakness. Weight loss worsens spirometry test results in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Weak breathing muscles lead to poor spirometry test results. Exercise helps a pulmonary fibrosis patient keep her muscles strong, enabling her to breathe better and score higher on spirometry tests.