Effects of reduced frequency breathing on arterial hypoxemia during exercise

Summary It is uncertain that exercise with reduced frequency breathing (RFB) results in arterial hypoxemia. This study was designed to investigate whether RFB during exercise creates a true hypoxic condition in arterial blood by examining arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂) directly. Six subjects performed ten 30 s periods of exercise on a Monark bicycle ergometer at a work rate of 210 W alternating with 30 s rest intervals. The breath was controlled to use 1 s each for inspiration and expiration, and two trials with different breathing patterns were used; a continuous breathing (CB) trial and an RFB trial consisting of four seconds of breath-holding at functional residual capacity (FRC). Alveolar oxygen pressure during exercise showed a slight but significant (p<0.05) reduction with RFB as compared to CB. However, a marked increase in alveolar-arterial pressure difference for oxygen (A-aDO₂) (p<0.05) with RFB over CB resulted in a marked (p<0.05) reduction in arterial oxygen pressure. Consequently, SaO₂ fell as low as 88.8% on average. Additional examination of RFB with breath-holding at total lung capacity showed no increases in A-aDO₂ in spite of the same amount of hypoventilation as compared with that at FRC. These results indicate that RFB during exercise can result in arterial hypoxemia if RFB is performed with breath-holding at FRC, this mechanism being closely related to the mechanical responses due to lung volume restriction.     

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and lean body mass in healthy exercising elderly

BACKGROUND: The decline in muscle mass (sarcopenia) with aging may be related to a decline in mitochondrial function. However, investigators have yet to reach a consensus as to whether a decline in mitochondrial function can be attenuated by physical activity has yet to reach a consensus. METHODS: Using dynamic 31PMRS to measure mitochondrial function, we measured baseline Phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphodiester (PDE), [ADP], pH and recovery times (t(1/2)) for PCr and [ADP] following exercise, in 45 older (73+/-4 years, SD), and 20 younger subjects (25+/-4 years, SD) who were matched for body mass across high and low activity levels and within age and sex groupings. RESULTS: Baseline PCr, and Pi, were lower, and PDE higher in the older subjects compared to younger subjects (all P<0.01). The t(1/2)(ADP) was longer in older subjects (P<0.001) controlling for age and sex in the low activity group (P=0.02). In the older low activity groups, t(1/2)(PCr) was longer than high activity groups. Higher PDE levels were positively correlated with longer t(1/2)(PCr) in the older low activity females (both P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that mitochondrial function declines with age in healthy, exercising elderly adults and that the decline appears to be influenced by the level of physical activity.     

Hormonal and metabolic response to three types of exercise of equal duration and external work output

Summary Five normal men, aged 20–30 years, participated in three types of exercise (I, II, III) of equal duration (20 min) and total external work output (120–180 kJ) separated by ten days of rest. Exercises consisted of seven sets of squats with barbells on the shoulders (I; Maximal Power Output _max=600−900 W), continuous cycling at 50 rev · min⁻¹ (II; _max=100−150 W) and seven bouts of intermittent cycling at 70 rev · min⁻¹ (III; _max=300−450 W). Plasma cortisol, glucagon and lactate increased significantly (P<0.05) during the exercise and recovery periods of the anaerobic, intermittent exercise (I and III) but not in the continuous, aerobic exercise (II). No consistent significant changes were found in plasma glucose. Plasma insulin levels decreased only during exercise II. The highest increase in cortisol and glucagon was not associated with the highest , , _max or HR; however it was associated with the anaerobic component of exercise (lactic acid). It is suggested that in exercises of equal duration and total external work output, the continuous, aerobic exercise (II) led to lowest levels of glucogenic hormones.     

Plasma testosterone and catecholamine responses to physical exercise of different intensities in men

Summary Plasma testosterone, noradrenaline, and adrenaline concentrations during three bicycle ergometer tests of the same total work output (2160 J·kg^–1) but different intensity and duration were measured in healthy male subjects. Tests A and B consisted of three consecutive exercise bouts, lasting 6 min each, of either increasing (1.5, 2.0, 2.5 W·kg^–1) or constant (2.0, 2.0, 2.0 W·kg^–1) work loads, respectively. In test C the subjects performed two exercise bouts each lasting 4.5 min, with work loads of 4.0 W·kg^–1. All the exercise bouts were separated by 1-min periods of rest.Exercise B of constant low intensity resulted only in a small increase in plasma noradrenaline concentration. Exercise A of graded intensity caused an increase in both catecholamine levels, whereas, during the most intensive exercise C, significant elevations in plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline and testosterone concentrations occurred. A significant positive correlation was obtained between the mean value of plasma testosterone and that of adrenaline as well as noradrenaline during exercise.It is concluded that both plasma testosterone and catecholamine responses to physical effort depend more on work intensity than on work duration or total work output.This work was performed within the Scientific Exchange Programme between the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava and Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw/Project 10.4/     

Running training and co-ordination between breathing and running rhythms during aerobic and anaerobic conditions in humans

The study was carried out on ten triathletes, six sprinters and ten subjects not trained in running (controls) to assess the effects of training history on the co-ordination between breathing and running rhythms during running on a treadmill. Three exercise intensities were used: 50%, 80% and 110% of the subject's anaerobic threshold (AT). All three intensities were performed twice: once with spontaneous breathing and once with breathing intentionally co-ordinated to the running rhythm. Heart rate, respiratory parameters and leg movements were continuously recorded. Blood lactate concentrations were measured discontinuously. The degree of co-ordination between running and breathing was quantified as the percentage of inspirations and/or expirations starting during the same phase of step. The results showed that the degree of both spontaneous and intended co-ordination at aerobic exercise intensities was in all three groups the same and increased in all groups with increasing intensity from 50% to 80% of AT; further increase of intensity to 110% of AT was associated with a significant decrease of co-ordination in controls and sprinters, whereas triathletes were able to maintain the same high degree of co-ordination as at 80% of AT. It was concluded that running training of either type at aerobic work loads had no effect on the co-ordination between running and breathing rhythms. At anaerobic intensities, however, the degree of co-ordination between running and breathing rhythms was higher in the endurance trained athletes than in the sprinters or in the untrained subjects. The degree of co-ordination increased with increasing regularity of breathing. The ability to increase intentionally the degree of co-ordination by paced breathing was independent of running training and was lowest at anaerobic exercise intensities.     

Glucose and free fatty acid utilization during prolonged exercise in prepubertal boys in relation to catecholamine responses

Summary Ten prepubertal boys performed 60-min cycle exercise at about 60% of their maximal oxygen uptake as previously measured. To measure packed cell volume, plasma glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol and catecholamines, blood samples were drawn at rest using a heparinized cathether and at the 15th, 30th and 60th min of the exercise and after 30 min of recovery. At rest, the blood glucose concentrations were at the lowest values for normal. Exercise induced a small decrease of blood glucose which was combined with an abrupt increase of the noradrenaline concentration during the first 15 min. The FFA and glycerol concentrations increased throughout the exercise linearly with that of adrenaline. Compared to adults, the FFA uptake expressed per minute and per litre of oxygen uptake was greater in children. These results suggested that it is difficult for children to maintain a constant blood glucose concentration and that prolonged exercise provided a real stimulus to hypoglycaemia. An immediate and large increase in noradrenaline concentration during exercise and a greater utilization of FFA was probably used by children to prevent hypoglycaemia.     

The hormonal responses to repetitive brief maximal exercise in humans

Summary The responses of nine men and nine women to brief repetitive maximal exercise have been studied. The exercise involved a 6-s sprint on a non-motorised treadmill repeated 10 times with 30 s recovery between each sprint. The total work done during the ten sprints was 37,693±3,956 J by the men and 26,555±4,589 J by the women (M > F,P<0.01). This difference in performance was not associated with higher blood lactate concentrations in the men (13.96± 1.70 mmol·^–1) than the women (13.09±3.04 mmol·l^–1). An 18-fold increase in plasma adrenaline (AD) occurred with the peak concentration observed after five sprints. The peak AD concentration in the men was larger than that seen in the women (9.2 +- 7.3 and 3.7 ± 2.4 nmol · l^–1 respectively,P<0.05). The maximum noradrenaline (NA) concentration occurred after ten sprints in the men (31.6±10.9 nmol·l^–1) and after five sprints in the women (27.4 ± 20.8 nmol · l^–1). Plasma cardiodilatin (CDN) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations were elevated in response to the exercise. The peak ANP concentration occurred immediately postexercise and the response of the women (10.8 ± 4.5 pmol · l^–1 was greater than that of the men (5.1 ± 2.6 pmol · l^–1,P<0.05). The peak CDN concentrations were 163 ± 61 pmol · l^–1 for the women and 135 ± 61 pmol · l^–1 for the men. No increases in calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were detected in response to the exercise. These results indicate differences between men and women in performance and hormonal responses. There was no evidence for a role of CGRP in the control of the cardiovascular system after brief intermittent maximal exercise.     

Acute hypervolemia does not improve arterial oxygenation in maximally exercising thoroughbred horses

Recently, it was reported that acute hypervolemia improves arterial oxygen tension in human athletes known to experience exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia. Since exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia is routinely observed in racehorses and is known to limit performance, we examined whether pre-exercise induction of acute hypervolemia would similarly benefit arterial oxygenation in maximally exercising thoroughbred horses. Two sets of experiments, namely, placebo [intravenous (IV) physiological saline] and acute hypervolemia (IV 7.2% NaCl, causing an 18.2% expansion of plasma volume) studies were carried out in random order on 13 healthy, exercise-trained thoroughbred horses, 7 days apart. An incremental exercise protocol leading to 120 s of galloping at 14 m s^–1 on a 3.5% uphill incline was used. Galloping at this workload elicited maximal heart rate and induced pulmonary hemorrhage in all horses in both treatments. In the placebo study, arterial oxygen tension decreased to 76.1 (2) mmHg (P<0.0001) at 30 s of maximal exertion, but further significant changes did not occur as exercise duration increased to 120 s [arterial oxygen tension 72.4 (2) mmHg]. A significant arterial hypoxemia also developed in galloping horses in the acute hypervolemia study [arterial oxygen tension at 30 and 120 s was 76.7 (1.7) and 71.9 (1.6) mmHg, respectively], but significant differences between treatments could not be demonstrated. In both treatments, a similar desaturation of arterial hemoglobin was also observed at 30 s of maximal exercise, which intensified with increasing exercise duration as hyperthermia, acidosis and hypercapnia intensified. Thus, acute expansion of plasma volume did not benefit arterial oxygenation in maximally exercising thoroughbred horses.     

Clinical significance of the ST-segment response and other early exercise test variables in uncomplicated vs complicated myocardial infarction

An exercise test was performed in 455 patients in the thirdweek after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). One hundred andseventeen (26%) of them were considered as having a complicatedAMI. During a follow-up of 4.5 years their mortality was 49%vs 23% in the remaining patients with uncomplicated AMI. Thesurvival of the patients was assessed in each clinical groupin relation to various exercise variables. Exercise-inducedST-segment depression, irrespective of its degree, did not discriminatesignificantly between dead and living patients in any of theclinical groups. A high value of the rise of the pressure-rateproduct (PRP) from rest to maximal exercise (dPRP) and absenceof significant exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias identifiedin both clinical groups patients with a very low risk of dying.A low dPRP and/or occurrence of significant ventricular arrhythmiasidentified a relatively high risk in uncomplicated AMI patientsand a very high risk of dying in complicated A MI subjects.The difference in the probability of survival between low-riskand high-risk patients was highly significant in each clinicalgroup (P<0.0001 in uncomplicated, and <0.005 in complicatedAMI, respectively).