title: Effect of altered body CO2 stores on pulmonary gas exchange dynamics during incremental exercise in humans.
abstract: The lactate threshold is a widely used and, at times, controversial construct in exercise physiology and pathophysiology. Its non-invasive estimation during incremental exercise depends upon CO2 output increasing as a function of O2 uptake, i.e. 'V-slope', as a result of bicarbonate buffering during the lactic acidosis. However, we hypothesised that the V-slope deflection could also occur as a consequence of metabolic CO2 being diverted proportionally more into the CO2 stores in the early phase of exercise. Eight healthy males performed two incremental exercise tests on a cycle ergometer, with and without controlled prior hyperventilation; the hyperventilation caused end-tidal PCO2 to decline by 10 mmHg, with the clearance of a CO2 volume averaging 2547 ml. This corresponded to an 'effective' CO2 capacitance of some 3.12 ml mmHg-1 kg-1. Gas exchange was determined breath-by-breath, and blood was sampled from the dorsum of the heated hand. Our results demonstrate that the early dynamics of CO2 wash-in to the previously depleted body stores can result in a 'pseudo-threshold', i.e. significantly before the onset of the actual lactic acidosis. Precautions should therefore be taken to avoid hyperventilation prior to non-invasive estimation of the lactate threshold.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Exercise Science and Medicine, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine Planning Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozcelik
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Whipp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D004056:Differential Threshold; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D019344:Lactic Acid