Effect of Muscular Exercise on Cough Reflex

Cough is an important reflex of defense of airways. It is also one of the more frequent symptoms during respiratory diseases. Chronic cough can be a disabling condition, apparently idiopathic or associated to pathology such as asthma, sinusitis with posterior discharge or gastroesophageal reflux.

Factors susceptible to provoke or increase cough are well known, but inhibiting factors are much less known. Muscular exercise is thought to influence respiratory reflexes in a considerable and complicated way. For example, a bronchodilation is observed in healthy or asthmatic individuals, but recovery period frequently triggers asthma attacks. Effects of exercise on cough reflex are much less known.

This study aims to determine the influence of muscular exercise on cough reflex in children and healthy adults.

Highlighting the inhibition of cough reflex by exercise can have a significant effect on chronic cough patient care. There is actually no symptomatic treatment really effective without side effects.

Inclusion criteria

• Obtaining of informed consent (or informed consent of parents or persons with parental authority)
• Affiliation to social security
• Negative answer to all 12 questions of medical questionnaire for child or to all 11 questions of medical questionnaire for adult
• Normal cardio-respiratory examination
• Normal electrocardiogram
• Without spirometry obstructive syndrome (FEV1 > 70% of predicted value and FEV1/FVC >70%)

Exclusion criteria

• Refusal or impossibility of obtaining informed consent of person or of persons with parental authority)