C3 - Respiratory System

• The respiratory system deals with taking oxygen into the body and also with helping to remove waste products associated with muscle metabolism
• Aerobic exercise training will result in the main adaptations of the respiratory system, as this type of exercise stresses the respiratory system in order to help it to take in more oxygen to improve aerobic exercise-related performance
• Aerobic training leads to adaption of the following areas in the respiratory muscle:

  • Respiratory muscles
  • Lung volumes and respiratory rate
  • Respiratory rate
• Respiratory Muscles:

  • Training leads to an increase in strength of the respiratory muscles which allows the lungs to take in more air per breath and also more forcibly exhale air
  • Aerobic exercise is primarily concerned with producing adaptions in the respiratory system, relatively new research has shown that there a device that can be used to train the inspiratory muscles of the respiratory system
  • POWERbreathe uses resistance training methodology to train the inspiratory muscles including the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles to help a person to take in more air during inspiration
• Lung Volumes and Respiratory Rate:

  • Aerobic training reduces the VE rate during sub-maximal exercise
  • Endurance training can also provide a small increase in lung volumes; vital capacity increases slightly, as does tidal volume during maximal exercise
  • Residual volume is the amount of air left in the lungs after full exhalation
• Respiratory Rate:

  • As the respiratory muscles respond to training, they are able to contract at a faster rate to allow for an increase in breathing rate, which helps to get more oxygen into the body and more carbon dioxide out of the body