ACUTE EFFECTS OF SKI WAXING ON PULMONARY-FUNCTION

The objective of this study was to determine whether pulmonary functio n 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 waxin g process. During the period of waxing, two pairs of cross-country ski s were waxed with a paraffin wax and then scraped and brushed, and two pairs of crosscountry skis were waxed with a fluorinated wax and then brushed. Spirometry and single-breath carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (DLCO) were measured immediately before and after exposure to ski waxing, and again 5-6 h after waxing. A subset of five subjects r epeated the measurements on a separate day without receiving exposure to ski waxing. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. Exposu re to ski waxing induced no significant changes in spirometry and DLCO measurements. We conclude that moderate exposure to ski waxing has no significant acute effect on lung function.