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Related Concept Videos

Other Factors Affecting Respiration Centers01:17

Other Factors Affecting Respiration Centers

Breathing is primarily an involuntary activity regulated by the brainstem respiratory centers. However, it can also be consciously controlled, allowing us to hold our breath or take deeper breaths when needed. This voluntary control is facilitated by the cerebral motor cortex, which bypasses the medullary centers to stimulate the respiratory muscles directly.
However, the ability to hold one's breath voluntarily is not limitless. When the CO2 concentration in the blood reaches a critical level,...
Assessment of Ventilation II: Respiratory Depth and Rhythm01:29

Assessment of Ventilation II: Respiratory Depth and Rhythm

Respiratory Depth
Respiratory depth measures the volume of air inhaled or exhaled during a breath. It can vary from shallow to deep and typically remains consistent when a person is at rest or asleep. Occasionally, individuals will automatically inhale deeply, known as sighing, which inflates the lungs with more air than normal breathing.
To assess respiratory depth, observe the degree of chest excursion or movement:
Alterations in Respiration II01:30

Alterations in Respiration II

There are numerous types of normal and abnormal respiration. Based on ventilatory movements, breathing patterns are classified as regular, deep, or shallow. Examples include Biot's breathing, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, Kussmaul's breathing, hyperventilation, and hypoventilation. Each pattern is clinically significant and aids in evaluating patients.
In Biot's breathing, the respiratory rate and depth are irregular, alternating between periods of deep gasping and apnea. Common causes include...
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract II: Inspection01:27

Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract II: Inspection

Physical assessment of the respiratory tract through inspection is a crucial step in understanding the patient's respiratory health. It provides insights into the functioning of the respiratory system, the musculoskeletal structure, and even the patient's nutritional status. This comprehensive approach involves observing several vital aspects: chest configuration, breathing patterns, respiratory rates, skin color, and use of accessory muscles.
Chest Configuration
The chest configuration can...
Mechanism of Breathing III: The Accessory Muscles01:21

Mechanism of Breathing III: The Accessory Muscles

The Role of Accessory Muscles in the Respiratory System
The respiratory system is a complex network that relies on primary respiratory muscles like the diaphragm, but also involves accessory muscles to enhance lung expansion and airflow during both inhalation and exhalation.
Enhancing Inhalation with Accessory Muscles:
Accessory muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid, scalene, intercostal, and abdominal muscles are crucial when additional respiratory effort is required, such as during deep...
Physiological Control of Respiration01:23

Physiological Control of Respiration

Introduction
Breathing, a seemingly passive process, is regulated by the respiratory center in the brainstem. This center coordinates the involuntary control of respirations, which means it occurs without conscious effort, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted pattern.
Regulation of Ventilation
The body maintains ventilation by monitoring levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in the arterial blood. Among these factors, the level of CO2 plays a crucial...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

A Model to Simulate Clinically Relevant Hypoxia in Humans
09:54

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Published on: December 22, 2016

Breath-hold diving: respiratory function on the longer term.

Stephan Walterspacher1, Tobias Scholz, Kay Tetzlaff

  • 1Department of Pneumology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. stephan.walterspacher@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|January 5, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Competitive breath-hold divers (BHD) performing glossopharyngeal insufflation (GI) show no permanent lung changes. Their blunted response to CO2 suggests tolerance is a training adaptation, not an inherited trait.

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Extreme Sports Medicine
  • Pulmonary Function Testing

Background:

  • Breath-hold diving (BHD) involves voluntary lung hyperinflation (glossopharyngeal insufflation, GI), creating significant pulmonary stress.
  • Prolonged breath-holds (up to 10 min) may alter respiratory drive, but long-term effects of GI on lung parenchyma are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of glossopharyngeal insufflation (GI) on pulmonary parenchyma in elite breath-hold divers (BHD).
  • To assess respiratory drive adaptations in BHD performing GI.

Main Methods:

  • Lung function and static compliance measured in 12 elite BHD post-GI.
  • Three-year follow-up measurements in 4 BHD.
  • Respiratory drive assessed using varying CO2 concentrations (6% and 9%).

Main Results:

  • Short-term pulmonary stress from GI was confirmed, but no permanent changes in lung distensibility or function were observed.
  • Follow-up measurements at 3 years showed no lasting impairment.
  • BHD exhibited a significantly reduced respiratory drive response to elevated CO2 levels.

Conclusions:

  • Glossopharyngeal insufflation (GI) during breath-hold diving (BHD) does not cause permanent pulmonary damage.
  • The blunted response to CO2 suggests that tolerance is acquired through training in BHD, not an inherent trait.