Acute effects of ski waxing on pulmonary function

HOFFMAN, M. D., P. S. CLIFFORD, and B. VARKEY. Acute effects of ski waxing on pulmonary function. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. Vol. 29, No. 10, pp. 1379-1382, 1997. The objective of this study was to determine whether pulmonary function is acutely affected by moderate exposure to ski waxing. Ten healthy nonsmoking young adult volunteers were exposed to 45 min of ski waxing in a small unventilated room. The exposure occurred in pairs with one individual performing the waxing while the other overlooked the waxing process. During the period of waxing, two pairs of cross-country skis were waxed with a paraffin wax and then scraped and brushed, and two pairs of cross-country skis were waxed with a fluorinated wax and then brushed. Spirometry and single-breath carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (DL CO ) were measured immediately before and after exposure to ski waxing, and again 5-6 h after waxing. A subset of five subjects repeated the measurements on a separate day without receiving exposure to ski waxing. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. Exposure to ski waxing induced no significant changes in spirometry and D LCO measurements. We conclude that moderate exposure to ski waxing has no significant acute effect on lung function.