Increased nitric oxide is involved in abnormal hemodynamic parameters and respiratory function of cirrhotic patients. We aimed to quantify partitioning exhaled nitric oxide measurements in exhaled air in liver transplantation (LT) candidates and evaluate their relationships with chronotropic incompetence and aerobic capacity. We compared exhaled nitric oxide (NO) measurements, heart rate response and peak oxygen uptake during incremental exercise in liver transplantation candidates to those of controls. As opposed to healthy control subjects, LT candidates displayed elevated alveolar NO, blunted chronotropic response and reduced V'O22-1-122 Increasing alveolar NO could be a specific pathophysiological condition limiting aerobic capacity in LT candidates.