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The physiological effects of breath-holding during high-intensity exercise
Jeremy Walsh1, James L Ramsey1, Nasimi A Guluzade1
1School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Physiological Reports
|June 25, 2025
Summary
Breath-holding during high-intensity exercise increases heart rate and oxygen uptake but does not affect muscle deoxygenation or blood lactate. Intrinsic oxygen stores appear sufficient for 20-second sprints.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- High-intensity exercise demands significant oxygen supply.
- Breath-holding (BH) alters respiratory and cardiovascular responses during exercise.
- Understanding these physiological effects is crucial for optimizing training and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological impacts of breath-holding during high-intensity exercise.
- To compare cardiovascular and metabolic responses between free-breathing and breath-holding conditions.
Main Methods:
- Twenty participants completed 20-second high-intensity arm and leg ergometry sprints.
- Measurements included heart rate, blood pressure, muscle deoxygenated hemoglobin, blood lactate, and end-tidal gases.
- Data were collected under both free-breathing (FB) and breath-holding (BH) conditions.
Main Results:
- BH significantly increased heart rate during exercise and post-exercise systolic blood pressure.
- Muscle deoxygenation and blood lactate levels remained unchanged between conditions.
- End-tidal oxygen decreased, while oxygen uptake increased significantly post-exercise under BH.
Conclusions:
- Exercise-induced tachycardia during BH exercise was offset by post-exercise bradycardia.
- Intrinsic oxygen stores are adequate for sustaining aerobic contribution during short-duration, high-intensity exercise with BH.
- BH during intense exercise primarily impacts cardiovascular parameters and gas exchange, not immediate metabolic substrate utilization.
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