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R R Bechbache

Publications and source records attributed to R R Bechbache.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

The ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in hyperoxic exercise.

The sensitivity of the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in hyperoxia during light (25 W) exercise was compared to that at rest in 14 volunteers. The method used was that of rebreathing. Two factors were found to produce artefactual changes in the slope of the response during exercise. First, breath-by-breath response lines showed that the maximum limit of ventilation was reached in 3 volunteers before the end of rebreathing, despite the low exercise load. The inclusion of such breaths in the calculation of the slope of the response could produce an artefactual decrease in slope. Second, most of the response lines showed an increase in their slope during exercise. However, a model of rebreathing in exercise showed that an increase in sensitivity could be the result of variation in the difference between end-tidal and central chemoreceptor carbon dioxide levels during exercise. A criterion derived from the model, proportional to the variation in this difference, was found to be correlated with the increase in sensitivity from rest to exercise. It was therefore concluded that the sensitivity of the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide during light exercise is unchanged from that at rest.

Adult↗

The effects of hypercapnia, hypoxia, exercise and anxiety on the pattern of breathing in man.

1. The pattern of breathing, defined as the relations between tidal volume and inspiratory and expiratory times, was measured during the stimulation of breathing by carbon dioxide (hyperoxic rebreathing at rest) in twenty-seven healthy, young volunteers. 2. Most of the patterns (twenty) were divisible into two parts, for low (range 1) and high (range 2) tidal volumes. The relations were curved, inverse proportionalities for both inspiration and expiration in range 2, and for expiration in range 1. The relations for inspiration in range 1 were evenly divided between those with constant inspiratory times (type 1) and those with curved, inverse proportionalities (type 2). 3. In four volunteers, direct proportionalities predominated and the patterns were scattered (type 3). 4. Eight of the volunteers (four type 1, two type 2 and two type 3 patterns) repeated the measurements and one changed from a type 1 to a type 2 pattern. 5. Nine of the volunteers also rebreathed during resting hypoxia. Two altered their patterns, and the others had patterns which were superimposed upon those measured during hyperoxic rebreathing at rest. 6. Eighteen of the volunteers also rebreathed (hyperoxic) during light exercise (25 W). Five entrained their breathing frequency to the exercise rhythm and showed exercise patterns with constant inspiratory and expiratory times. The others had patterns which were extensions of those measured during hyperoxic rebreathing at rest. 7. The pattern of breathing in range 1 was measured by steady-state methods in a further ten volunteers at rest with their eyes closed and open, and during mental arithmetic. The pooled average pattern showed that the stress of mental arithmetic shortened both inspiratory and expiratory times, and changed a type 2 pattern into a type 1 pattern.

Adult↗

The entrainment of breathing frequency by exercise rhythm.

1. The incidence of entrainment of breathing frequency by the rhythm of exercise was detected by a cross-correlation of the two frequencies. 2. During moderate, steady-state exercise on a bicycle ergometer at 50 rev/min, eight of fifteen volunteers (53%) showed entrainment when pedalling speed was kept constant with a metronome, and three of fifteen volunteers (20%) showed entrainment when pedalling speed was kept constant with a speedometer. 3. At 70 rev/min, in a second group of fifteen volunteers, the results were nine of fifteen (60%) and five of fifteen (33%) respectively. 4. During moderate, steady state exercise on a treadmill, in a third group of fifteen volunteers, eight of 15 volunteers (53%) showed entrainment while walking, and twelve of fifteen volunteers (80%) showed entrainment while running. 5. It is concluded that the rhythm of exercise is likely to affect the rhythm of breathing and that this controlling factor must be considered during studies of breathing pattern in exercise.

Adult↗