Individual’s Respiratory Activity: The Main Influences
Introduction
The central purpose of this laboratory study is to test various influences on the exhaled air volume 
. Theory suggests that the value of 
appears to be intensely dependent on the environment and the type of exercise the individual experiences. Thus, the study of the various effects of the environment on the values of 
should be considered the focus of this study.
Methods
The procedural part of the present laboratory project was constructed of five successive tests, which were performed alternately and independently. Thus, between all but the fourth and fifth tests, breaks were taken until the individual had fully recovered until the frequency of breathing exercise was regular. In addition, critical characteristics of the participant were measured before the first test, which involved measuring the participant’s height and weight, as well as measuring the physical conditions of the room where the test took place.
RMR Test
The participant’s breathing dynamics during five minutes of rest were assessed for the first test. Respiratory activity data, which included
, RQ, VO2/Kg, HR, and EEkc, were collected using the metabolic cart shown in Figure 1. After obtaining the data set, the corresponding values of predicted EEkc according to the Harris-Benedict equation were calculated:
Pulmonary Function test
A breathing tube was used for the second test to estimate the subject’s maximal exhalation volume after a prior maximal inhalation in a seated position. Measurements were repeated three times to prevent systematic error, after which the maximum exhaled volume was estimated as the highest value of the three tests. To this number was added the RV value obtained from the previous laboratory work: together, these formed a mean total lung capacity. The data were compared with the reference values, after which the necessary observations were made.
Cold Exposure Test
The metabolic cart was again used to collect data in this test. The participant placed his feet in a bucket of pure ice and cold water, and any changes in respiratory activity as a consequence were automatically recorded by the computer program. After a sufficient array had been collected, the participant would remove the legs, and testing would stop.
Exercise in Normal Conditions
The metabolic cart was again used to collect data in this test. For five minutes, the participant was asked to run at maximum physical capacity on a treadmill while connected to a mask. After this time, a mask was rapidly adapted to proceed to the fifth test without pause.
Exercise in Hypoxic Conditions
The participant continued to run on the treadmill almost without pause, but now a stream of hypoxic air from the machine was connected to the mask via a flexible PVC tube. The participant was asked to continue running at the same pace, and when the running speed was reached the former value, the program of metabolic activity recording was started. The test subject ran for several minutes to ensure that the data were reliably readable. In the end, the treadmill was stopped, and the mask turned off, after which the participant was given free time to rest and recover from the physical activity.
Results
Conclusions
The present laboratory work evaluated the effect of various factors on the respiratory activity of a young male individual. The focus of the study was the maximally exhaled air volume metric (V_E ) ̇, which was assessed using a metabolic cart. The participant was connected to a mask that automatically recorded the individual’s respiratory activity. In addition, the classic breathing tube method was used to determine maximal exhalation force. Cold environment, rest, and physical activity under normal and hypoxic conditions were evaluated as influencing factors. The data obtained can be helpful for physiological research in medicine, as it not only provides full criticality to the data collected but also presents a complete picture of the individual’s respiratory activity.
Reference
Ventilation lab. (n.d.). Mailchi. Web.