Spengler, Christina M.; Roos, Marcus; Laube, Sonja M.; Boutellier, Urs.
Decreased exercise blood lactate concentrations
after
respiratory endurance training in humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology,
79: 299-305; 1999.
Examines the physiological effect of a regimen of voluntary hyperpnoea
(rapid breathing) on healthy subjects. Subjects (N = 19) used a device
for respiratory training that included a metronome and instruments to
measure ventilatory responses. After the 4-week training program no
significant differences occurred for VC, FEV1 or peak expiratory flow
(p <.001). MVV increased
significantly after the training program (p
< .001). Though VO2peak was not affected, blood lactate
concentrations decreased after the training. (p < .001). Endurance
cycling time increased significantly (p < .01). Though the finding
of the increase in cycling time is the most significant finding of the
study, the changes in blood lactate concentration suggests a possible
increase in ability to metabolize lactate in the respiratory muscles.
Further study should examine the causes for the increase in cycling
time, which is most likely not the change in blood lactate
concentration.