Open Collections

The effect of breath-holding during intense intermittent exercise on arterial blood gases, acid-base balance, and lactate

University of British Columbia

Eight healthy female volunteers (mean age 24.4 ± 3.4) served as subjects in an experiment measuring acid-base and lactate changes while breath-holding during intense, intermittent exercise. The subjects were endurance trained (VO₂[sub max] = 56.8 ± 3.9 ml'kg-min⁻¹) with normal resting pulmonary function. Utilizing a counterbalance design, each subject repeated 5 intervals of a 15 second treadmill run at 125 % VO₂[sub max], once while breath-holding (BH), and once while breathing freely (NBH). Blood samples at rest, at the end of each work and rest interval, and throughout recovery were taken from a teflon catheter inserted in the radial artery. Samples were analyzed for pH, PaO₂, PaCO₂, SO₂, bicarbonate, and lactate. The results were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to compare BH with NBH. Significant (p≤.01), reductions were found in pH associated with significant elevations in PaCO₂ and HCO₃- at the end of each 15 sec exercise interval in the BH condition. These changes did not persist throughout the rest intervals (p>.05). In addition, significant (p≤.01), drops in PaO₂ and SaO₂ were found at the end of each exercise interval in the BH condition that were not found at the end of each rest interval. Significantly increased rates of lactate appearance in the arterial blood were found during recovery in the BH conditon. It was concluded that breath-holding during intense, intermittent exercise produced acid-base changes greater than those seen at similar exercise intensities while breathing. In addition, breath-holding during intense, intermittent exercise produces significant hypoxia. The significantly increased rates of lactate appearance during recovery in the BH condition are most likely due to increased tissue anaerobiosis.

Text

2010-07-12

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26354

Physical Education

University of British Columbia

Graduate