Increase in occlusion pressure with ventilation and response to maximal exercise.

Abstract

Fifteen sedentary or mildly active men (low fit group) and 15 trained male athletes (high fit group) performed an incremental exercise bout on a cycle ergometer until exhaustion. At each submaximal load, minute ventilation (VE) and rate of change of mouth pressure (dP/dt) during a brief airway occlusion were computed. The airway was occluded for 40-200 ms and adjusted according to the level of ventilation. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and minute ventilation (VEpeak) were measured during the last increment. dP/dt was related to VE in all subjects as dP/dt = a VECURV. The CURV parameter was 0.99-1.95 with a median of 1.49. The subjects were divided into four groups of seven or eight according to their physical fitness and their CURV value. Low and high CURV subjects had a CURV below and above the median, respectively. VE/VO2peak and VE/VCO2peak were significantly higher in the low CURV than in the high CURV group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Although factors other than the increase in pulmonary impedance with ventilation may influence CURV, the present results indicate the possible influence of mechanical constraint of breathing on the ventilatory output.