Breath holding and rebreathing at low and high altitude

Breath holding and rebreathing have been carried out at sea level in lowlanders and at high altitude in acclimatized lowlanders and in highlanders. It has been shown that the values of gasping time, breath-holding time, rebreathing time and the composition of the alveolar gases at the breaking point are modified by chronic hypoxia, especially in highlanders. The modifications observed can be explained by different sensitivities to humoral stimuli of the different groups of subjects. The importance of nonhumoral factors, as studied by comparing apnea and rebreathing, seems modified at altitude, especially in highlanders, although the mechanism of this change is unknown.