The Effects of Exercise on the Pulmonary Ventilation Rate

Respiration is the process that takes place in every living cell to make energy available to the body. Energy is vital for us to carry out many life processes such as movement and so respiration in essential to life. During respiration glucose and oxygen are used in a reaction that produces energy and gives out carbon dioxide and water as waste products. Glucose is obtained by digestion of food and oxygen is taken from the …

…This ventilation process will happen much quicker than normal as more breaths are taken per minute to attempt to restore the constant balance of gases and pH. Tidal volume will also increase during exercise as the inspiratory and expiratory reserve volumes are used so that more air and therefore more oxygen can be inspired in one breath and more carbon dioxide can be expired. This overall results in a major increase in pulmonary ventilation rate.