Montelukast does not affect exercise performance at subfreezing temperature in highly trained non-asthmatic endurance athletes

Anti-leukotriene therapy represents a new principle in asthma treatment. As elite athletes can have asthma, this double-blind, placebo-controlled, ran domised cross-over study investigated the effect of 10 mg oral montelukast, a specific and potent cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, on physio logical responses to submaximal and maximal aerobic exercise at -15 degrees C in 14 non-asthmatic highly trained endurance male athletes (maximal oxyg en uptake [(V)over dot O-2 max] > 70 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)). Heart rate, ca pillary blood lactate, minute ventilation with tidal volume and breathing f requency, respiratory exchange ratio and oxygen uptake were measured during the warm-up run of 10 min at 50%, runs of 10 min at 90% and 5 min at 80% ( V)over dot O(2)max, and a timed run to exhaustion. Spirometry was performed at baseline, at four hours after tablet ingestion, after warm-up and exerc ise at 80% (V)over dot O(2)max, and in the post exercise period. Compared t o placebo, montelukast did not increase baseline FEV1, have a beneficial ef fect on physiological performance variables, or increase the mean (SD) runn ing time to exhaustion (montelukast: 332.3 [45.8] s, placebo: 340.1 [53.3] s, P = 0.22). These findings do not suggest the need for disallowing the us e of this drug by asthmatic athletes.