Effects of Surgical Correction of Nasal Obstruction on Oxygen Uptake and Ventilation Volume

Effects of Surgical Correction of Nasal Obstruction on Oxygen Uptake and Ventilation Volume

This retrospective study aims to evaluate the effect of surgical correction of nasal obstruction on aerobic performance parameters in male athletes aged 20-32 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does nasal obstruction surgery impact running economy and ventilation during exercise?
• Does it affect oxygen consumption during submaximal running efforts?

Researchers will retrospectively compare male athletes who underwent nasal obstruction surgery (experimental group) to matched athletes without nasal obstruction (control group) to assess changes in respiratory function and exercise performance.

Participants were assessed by:

• Acoustic rhinometry to measure nasal cavity dimensions.
• The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to evaluate nasal obstruction symptoms and daytime sleepiness.
• Incremental treadmill exercise tests to collect data on gas exchange, oxygen consumption, ventilation, and running economy before and after the surgical intervention (or across a similar time period for the control group).

Inclusion Criteria:

For Experimental Group (EG):

• Diagnosed with nasal obstruction due to septal deviation and/or inferior turbinate hypertrophy
• Experiencing nasal breathing difficulties and sleep disturbance
• Deemed eligible for septoplasty and/or inferior turbinoplasty following physical and endoscopic examination
• Voluntarily agreed to participate in the study
• For Control Group (CG):
• No reported nasal obstruction or breathing complications
• Matched with EG participants by age, sport discipline, training level, and VO₂max (with a maximum variation of ±5%)
• Willing to follow a similar training program to their matched EG counterparts between pre- and post-testing periods

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of nasal surgery
• Presence of cardiopulmonary diseases
• Musculoskeletal disorders affecting physical performance or exercise testing
• Inability or unwillingness to follow the pre- and post-test training schedule
• Any surgical complication that would interfere with post-operative participation in physical testing (note: none occurred in this study)