Summary
The purpose of this study was to determine the potential effects on progressive aerobic work while breathing through a new military type chemical and biological (CB) respirator loaded with three different types of purifying canisters. Twelve healthy well-motivated male subjects (mean age 23±3 years) participated in the study. Results indicated that mean maximal oxygen uptake\((\dot V_{O_{2{\text{ max}}} } )\), time to exhaustion, respiratory exchange ratio, rate of perceived exertion, respiratory rate and tidal volume at exhaustion, maximal lactate and the 2-min post-exercise lactate were not significantly influenced when breathing with the respirator and the canisters in comparison to a laboratory valve. Mean pulmonary ventilation, however, was reduced by 21% while oxygen and carbon dioxide ventilatory equivalents were significantly lower by 9% and 8% respectively. Review of the stage-by-stage responses to the treadmill test between the laboratory valve and respirator/canister conditions indicated no significant differences (NS) in oxygen uptake but slightly lower heart rates (NS). Ventilation was not influenced by the canisters until 80% of\(\dot V_{o_{2{\text{ }}max} } \) at which time the mean oxygen ventilatory equivalent became significantly lower. Blood lactate was significantly depressed between 60% and 90%\(\dot V_{o_{2{\text{ }}max} } \) under the respirator/canister conditions. It was concluded that, although physiological adaptation occurred, breathing with the new CB respirator and each of the three purifying canisters had no detrimental effect on progressive aerobic work to exhaustion. However, prolonged work at intensities greater than 80–85% of\(\dot V_{o_{2{\text{ }}max} } \) would in all probability be impaired when breathing with the CB mask and the canisters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Borg GAV (1982) Psychological bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:377–381
Consolazio CF, Johnson RE, Pecora LJ (1963) Physiological measurements of metabolic functions in man. McGraw-Hill, Toronto
Craig FN, Blevins WV, Cummings EG (1970) Exhausting work limited by external resistance and inhalation of carbon dioxide. J Appl Physiol 29:847–851
Craig FN, Blevins WV, Frolick HL (1971) Training to improve endurance in exhausting work of men wearing protective masks; a review and some preliminary experiments. EATR 4535, Edgewood Arsenal, APG, MD21010
Cummings EG, Blevins WV, Greenland CM, Craig FN (1958) Effects of protective masks on soldier's ability to run a halfmile. Tech Rep 2254, U. S. Army Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland (quoted in Muza 1986)
Dahlback GO, Balldin UI (1984) Physiological effects of pressure demand masks during heavy exercise. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 45:177–181
Ersham RE, Heigenhauser GJF, Jones NL (1982) Effect of respiratory acidosis on metabolism in exercise. J Appl Physiol 53:63–69
Graham T, Wilson BA, Sample M, Van Dijk J, Bonen A (1980) The effects of hypercapnia on metabolic responses to progressive exhaustive work. Med Sci Sports Exerc 12:278–284
Harber P, Taminue J, Emory J, Bhattacharya A, Barber M (1984) Effects of exercise using industrial respirators. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 45:603–609
Hermansen L, Vobak Z, Lereim P (1972) Respiratory and circulatory response to added air flow resistance during exercise. Ergonomics 15:15–24
Jetté M (1979) A comparison between predicted\(\dot V_{o_{2{\text{ }}max} } \) from the Astrand procedure and the Canadian Home Fitness Test. Can J Sport Sci 4:214–218
Johnson AT, Cummings EG (1975) Mask design considerations. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 36:220–228
Jones NL, Sutton JR, Taylor R, Toews CJ (1977) Effect of pH on cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to exercise. J Appl Physiol 43:959–964
Lotens WA (1982) Physiological strain: clothing design and its relation to military performance. Institute for Perception, National Defence Research Organization TNO, Rep 1ZF-1982-34 (quoted in Muza 1986)
Muza SR (1986) A review of biomedical aspects of CB masks and their relationship to military performance. Report No T1–87. US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts
SAS Institute Inc. (1985) SAS user's guide: basics, version 5. Gary, NC
Silverman L, Lee G, Pletkin T, Sayers LA, Yancey AR (1951) Air flow measurements on human subjects with and without respiratory resistance at several work rates. Ind Hyg Occup Med 3:461–478
Sutton JR, Jones NL, Toews CJ (1981) Effect of pH on muscle glycolysis during exercise. Clin Sci 61:331–338
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was funded by the Defence Research Establishment (Ottawa) under DSS contract File No. 6455. W7714-7-5328.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jetté, M., Thoden, J. & Livingstone, S. Physiological effects of inspiratory resistance on progressive aerobic work. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 60, 65–70 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572188
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572188