LAUSR

Background: Lung diffusion capasity for carbon monoxide is determined with structural and functional characteristics of the lung performance. Elite athletes tend to have higher DLCO values. Aim: To evaluate the anthropometric and training factors influence on carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (DLCO) and on transfer coefficient (KCO) in elite athletes, by using the logistic regression model. Methods: From November 2012 to September 2015, 70 randomly selected male Caucasian elite athletes were analyzed. They came to be regularly screened for the respiratory diseases. DLCO and KCO were measured by the single breath method standardized technique; anthropometric values were measured as standing body height (cm) and body weight (kg). Results: The implemented logistic regression model has shown that only the combination of training frequency per week and the weekly amount of training expressed in hours had positive influence on DLCO. Predictors for KCO were not identified. This model was found to be excellent according to classification table, providing 80,0% of agreement for DLCO and 71,0% for KCO, at a cut off value of p=0.50. A set of goodness of fit tests was performed in order to further test the model, and all were nonsignificant, showing that it has correctly predicted the real data: Hosmer and Lemeshow test (p=0.866); Cox and Snell R2 (p=0.420) and Nagelkerke R2 (p=0.561). Conclusion: Training factors have shown to have positive influence on DLCO. Anthropometric features were not found to be significant predictors for DLCO. Further studies are encouraged.