Normal values and ranges for ventilation and breathing pattern at maximal exercise

Assessment of the breathing pattern at maximal exercise in patients is limited because the range of ventilatory responses (minute ventilation; tidal volume; respiratory rate) at maximal exercise in normal humans is unknown. We studied 231 normal subjects (120 women; 111 men) equally distributed according to age from 20 to 80 years. Each subject performed a progressive incremental cycle ergometer exercise test to their symptom-limited maximum. Mean ventilation at the end of exercise (Vemax) was significantly higher in men (mean +/- SD, 97 +/- 25 L/min) than in women (69 +/- 22 L/min) (p less than 0.001). Minute ventilation at the end of exercise as a fraction of predicted maximal voluntary ventilation (Vemax/MVV) for all subjects was 0.61 +/- 0.14 (range, 0.28 to 1.02). There was no difference in Vemax/MVV between men (0.62 +/- 0.14) and women (0.59 +/- 0.14). Tidal volume at the end of exercise (Vtmax) was higher in men (2.70 +/- 0.48 L) than in women (1.92 +/- 0.41 L) (p less than 0.001). Any differences in Vtmax between men and women disappeared when Vtmax was corrected for baseline FVC. Respiratory rate at the end of exercise (RRmax) was 36.1 +/- 9.2 breaths per minute for all subjects. There was no difference in RRmax between men and women. The Vemax correlated best with carbon dioxide output at the end of exercise (r = 0.91; p less than 0.001) and with maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.90; p less than 0.001) for all subjects. This study of a large group of subjects has demonstrated the wide range of possible breathing patterns which are adopted during exercise and has provided a wide range of "normal" responses which must be taken into consideration when maximal ventilatory data from exercise tests are analyzed.