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Ventilatory responses to prolonged exercise with heavy load carriage

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment was to study breathing pattern and operating lung volume during 45 min of exercise with a heavy backpack (25 kg) and examine the effect of this exercise on respiratory muscle strength.

Methods

Fifteen males completed randomly ordered graded exercise tests on a treadmill with and without a correctly sized and fitted 25 kg pack. Subsequently, each subject completed, in random order, on separate days, 45 min of treadmill walking with and without the pack. Oxygen demand was matched between conditions (loaded: 3.01 ± 0.11 and unloaded 3.02 ± 0.11 L min−1).

Results

With load, breathing frequency (f B) and minute ventilation increased by 21.7 and 15.1 % (P < 0.05), respectively, while tidal volume (V T) and end-inspiratory lung volume (EILV) were reduced by 6.3 and 6.4 % (P < 0.05), respectively, compared to unloaded. Following loaded exercise, maximal inspiratory pressure decreased by 6.7 % (P < 0.05) with no change in maximal expiratory pressure. No changes in maximal inspiratory or expiratory pressures were observed following unloaded exercise. Despite equivalent oxygen demand, perceived exercise stress and breathing discomfort was higher (P < 0.05) in the loaded condition.

Conclusions

The mechanical disadvantage placed on the respiratory system during exercise with a heavy pack led to compensatory changes in breathing pattern and EILV, and a reduction in maximal inspiratory pressure post-exercise. We suggest that in an attempt to minimize the work of breathing, subjects adopted a shallow and frequent breathing pattern. However, this pattern increased deadspace and minute ventilation, which likely contributed to altered perceptions of exercise stress and breathing discomfort.

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Abbreviations

fB :

Breathing frequency

EELV:

End expiratory lung volume

EILV:

End inspiratory lung volume

FEV1 :

Forced expired volume in 1 s

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

IC:

Inspiratory capacity

MIP:

Maximal inspiratory pressure

MEP:

Maximal expiratory pressure

TLC:

Total lung capacity

VC:

Vital capacity

\({\dot{\text{V}}}\)CO2 :

Carbon dioxide production

\({\dot{\text{V}}}\)O2 :

Oxygen consumption

V T :

Tidal volume

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, 4-427 Van Vliet Complex, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H9, Canada

    Devin B. Phillips & Stewart R. Petersen

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J3, Canada

    Michael K. Stickland

  3. G. F. MacDonald Centre for Lung Health, Covenant Health, Edmonton, AB, T6K 4B2, Canada

    Michael K. Stickland

Authors
  1. Devin B. Phillips
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  2. Michael K. Stickland
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  3. Stewart R. Petersen
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Correspondence to Stewart R. Petersen.

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Communicated by Susan Hopkins.

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Phillips, D.B., Stickland, M.K. & Petersen, S.R. Ventilatory responses to prolonged exercise with heavy load carriage. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 19–27 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3240-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3240-7

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