INTRODUCTION: Children and adolescents who are overweight have a higher prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), as compared to eutrophics. Spirometry and peak flow meter are important evaluation methods of lung function. However, the applicability of the peak expiratory flow (peak flow meter) in the detection of EIB in children and adolescents who are overweight is not known, hence the development of this research. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the onset of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in children and adolescents non-asthmatic who are overweight, evaluated by spirometry and the peak flow meter (PEF). METHODS: The study included 39 volunteers above the 85th percentile (OB) and 30 normal weight (EU), with the age of 8 to 15 years. The evaluation of lung function before and after bronchial provocation test was performed by spirometry and peak flow meter, according to the protocol of Del Río-Navarro et al, (2000). The EIB was considered positive when the volunteer showed a reduction > 10% of baseline FEV1 or > 20% reduction in PEF PFM and / or PEFE. RESULTS: The detection of the BIE, the prevalence of obese group was 26% measured by peak flow meter (PEF PFM) and 23% for FEV1. The time of the BIE occurred with the first 15 minutes post-exercise in both parameters: (PFE PFM) and FEV1. CONCLUSION: The obese volunteers presented similar time and prevalence of EIB, when evaluated by both methods of pulmonary assessment. The easy handling and low cost from this method created greater accessibility for the general population from the peak flow meter, which shows its importance as part of an educational program in the initial diagnosis of EIB in large airway caliber.
lung function in exercise; peak expiratory flow; obesity
