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We carried out a maximum expiratory flow-volume curve (MEFV) and a spirometric recording with 67 athletes of different ages (15-27 years) and disciplines (rowers, kayakists, cyclists, swimmers) and with 20 adult and 13 adolescent nonathletic controls of matching ages. These recordings were repeated, with athletes only, after 6-10 months of training. Significant differences between the groups of adult athletes and the controls were observed for some parameters, the most discriminating of which were, in order, the peak expiratory flow (PEF), the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and the flow at 75% of the vital capacity (V75). The vital capacity (VC) itself was only higher in the rowers group. The adult athletes, when grouped together (n = 47), produced a higher flow at 50% of their VC (V50) than the control group (+15%, P less than 0.05) with no difference in the flow at 25% of VC (V25) nor in the VC. A study of the effects of training showed no evolution among high level athletes while increases of 14% of the PEF, 5% of the V75, and 7% of the FEV1 were found after 7-10 months of training in adolescents; the VC increased during that time by only 2.7%. The reproducibility of these ventilatory parameters after 6-8 months was studied with adult athletes. The upper limit of the variation (95% CLl) was 12% for the FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC), 18% for PEF, 21% for V75 and V50, and 40% for V25.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)