The initial phase of exercise hyperpnoea in humans is depressed during a cognitive task.
Increased wakefulness is known to suppress the initial ventilatory response to passive movement and the steady-state ventilatory response to exercise. However, the effect of increased wakefulness upon the integrated ventilatory response at the onset of exercise is not known. We hypothesized that increasing wakefulness via a cognitive task would attenuate the initial ventilatory response to exercise, and so we examined the response to active leg extensions under two conditions: with and without concurrently solving a puzzle. At rest before exercise, subjects demonstrated greater minute ventilation while solving a puzzle (mean +/- S.E.M., 12.38 +/- 0.55 versus 10.12 +/- 0.51 l min(-1), P < 0.001), due to a higher mean breathing frequency (mean +/- S.E.M., 17.1 +/- 0.93 versus 13.6 +/- 0.59 breaths min(-1), P < 0.001). At the start of exercise, subjects did not increase their ventilation significantly while solving the puzzle (P = 0.170), but did by a mean +/-s.e.m. of 6.16 +/- 1.12 l min(-1) (P < 0.001) when not puzzle solving. The ventilation achieved at the start of exercise in absolute terms was also lower while solving the puzzle (14.6 +/- 1.1 versus 16.3 +/- 1.3 l min(-1), P = 0.047). Despite differences in the rapid ventilatory response to exercise between conditions, the steady-state responses were not different. We conclude that the performance of a cognitive task decreases the initial phase of exercise hyperpnoea, and suggest that this might occur because of either a competitive interaction between drives to breathe or a behavioural distraction from the 'task' of exercise.
Bell
Harold J
HJ
Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8.
Feenstra
Wya
W
Duffin
James
J
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*