In both children and adults, acute exercise increases lung capillary blood volume (Vc) and membrane factor (Dm_CO). We sought to determine whether basketball training affected this adaptation to exercise in children. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two years sport activity on the components of pulmonary gas transfer in children. Over a 2-yr period, we retested 60 nine year old boys who were initially separated in two groups: 30 basketball players (P) (9.0 ± 1.0 yrs; 35.0 ± 5.2 kg; 1.43 ± 0.05 m), and matched non players controls (C) (8.9 ± 1.0 yrs; 35.0 ± 6.0 kg; 1.44 ± 0.06 m) who did not perform any extracurricular activity, Vc and Dm_CO were measured by the NO/CO transfer method at rest and during sub-maximal exercise. Maximal aerobic power and peak power output was 12% higher in the trained group compared to matched controls (p < 0.05). Nitric oxide lung transfer (TL_NO) per unit lung volume and thus, Dm_CO per unit of lung volume (VA) were higher at rest and during exercise in the group which had undergone regular basketball activity compared to matched controls (p < 0.05). Neither lung capillary blood volume nor total lung transfer for carbon monoxide (TL_CO) were significantly different between groups. These results suggest that active sport can alter the properties of the lung alveolo-capillary membrane by improving alveolar membrane conductance in children.

• Trained children had greater Dm/VA and Dm/Vc ratios compared with control children during exercise.

• The mechanisms by which basketball playing children were thought to improve lung diffusion are speculative.

• Further work will be required to determine the kinetics of the alteration in Dm when children switch from non players to players status or vice-versa.