Mechanical ventilation in a conscious male during exercise: a case report

We recently explored the cardiopulmonary interactions during partial unloading of the respiratory muscles during exercise. Expanding upon this work, we present a noteworthy case study whereby we eliminated the influence of respiration on cardiac function in a conscious but mechanically ventilated human during exercise. This human was a young healthy endurance-trained male who was mechanically ventilated during semi-recumbent cycle exercise at 75 Watts (W) (∼30% W_max). During mechanically ventilated exercise, esophageal pressure was reduced to levels indistinguishable from the cardiac artefact which led to a 94% reduction in the power of breathing. The reduction in respiratory pressures and respiratory muscle work led to a decrease in cardiac output (-6%), which was due to a reduction in stroke volume (-13%), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (-15%), and left-ventricular end-systolic volume (-17%) that was not compensated for by heart rate. Our case highlights the influence of extreme mechanical ventilation on cardiac function while noting the possible presence of a maximal physiological limit to which respiration (and its associated pressures) impacts cardiac function when the power of breathing is maximally reduced.