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Determinants of breathing frequency during walking.
S H Loring1, J Mead, T B Waggener
1Department of Environmental Science and Physiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Respiration Physiology
|November 1, 1990
Summary
Walking step rate impacts breathing rate, regardless of metabolic demand or rhythmic coordination. This suggests voluntary movement directly influences respiratory control during locomotion.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Respiratory Control
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Breathing frequency is influenced by metabolic demand and gait parameters.
- The relationship between stepping and breathing during locomotion requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the influence of stepping frequency on breathing frequency during walking.
- To investigate if this influence is independent of metabolic rate.
Main Methods:
- Recorded breathing and stepping timing in ten subjects walking on a treadmill.
- Varied walking speed and inclination to alter estimated metabolic rate (EMR).
Main Results:
- Breathing frequency increased with estimated metabolic rate (EMR) in all subjects.
- Breathing frequency was affected by stepping frequency, independent of EMR.
- Rhythmical entrainment between breathing and stepping occurred in 50% of subjects.
Conclusions:
- Stepping frequency significantly influences breathing frequency during walking.
- This effect occurs regardless of rhythmic coupling between breathing and stepping.
- Voluntary movement may exert an excitatory influence on the respiratory center.