Heart rate responses to apneic underwater diving and to breath holding in man

1963 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 854-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert B. Craig
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Venous Return ◽  
Intrathoracic Pressure ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Compression Chamber

Bradycardia is a response to apneic diving which man has in common with many other species. Slowing of the heart rate during diving was observed in children as well as adults and was as prominent in poor swimmers as in those subjects who were familiar with the water. The response was independent of depth down to 27 m, but could not be produced by simulated dives in a compression chamber. Diving in water implies several maneuvers, some of which were investigated during breath holding. It was observed that the tachycardia produced by breath holding at different Valsalva pressures was proportional to the increase of intrathoracic pressure. At equal pressures the tachycardia was less when the subject was in water than when in air. Other maneuvers which increased venous return at the beginning of the breath hold produced a bradycardia during the apnea, and conversely when venous return was impaired there was a tachycardia. The hypothesis is presented that diving bradycardia in man might be explainable in terms of already known physiological mechanisms. swimming; submersion Submitted on February 27, 1963

Control of ventilation in elite synchronized swimmers

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 1019-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Bjurstrom ◽  
R. B. Schoene
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Heart Rate Change ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Lung Volumes ◽  
Co2 Partial Pressure ◽  
Control Of Ventilation

Synchronized swimmers perform strenuous underwater exercise during prolonged breath holds. To investigate the role of the control of ventilation and lung volumes in these athletes, we studied the 10 members of the National Synchronized Swim Team including an olympic gold medalist and 10 age-matched controls. We evaluated static pulmonary function, hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory drives, and normoxic and hyperoxic breath holding. Synchronized swimmers had an increased total lung capacity and vital capacity compared with controls (P less than 0.005). The hypoxic ventilatory response (expressed as the hyperbolic shape parameter A) was lower in the synchronized swimmers than controls with a mean value of 29.2 +/- 2.6 (SE) and 65.6 +/- 7.1, respectively (P less than 0.001). The hypercapnic ventilatory response [expressed as S, minute ventilation (1/min)/alveolar CO2 partial pressure (Torr)] was no different between synchronized swimmers and controls. Breath-hold duration during normoxia was greater in the synchronized swimmers, with a mean value of 108.6 +/- 4.8 (SE) vs. 68.03 +/- 8.1 s in the controls (P less than 0.001). No difference was seen in hyperoxic breath-hold times between groups. During breath holding synchronized swimmers demonstrated marked apneic bradycardia expressed as either absolute or heart rate change from basal heart rate as opposed to the controls, in whom heart rate increased during breath holds. Therefore the results show that elite synchronized swimmers have increased lung volumes, blunted hypoxic ventilatory responses, and a marked apneic bradycardia that may provide physiological characteristics that offer a competitive advantage for championship performance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The diving physiology of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). I. Balancing the demands of exercise for energy conservation at depth

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (20) ◽  
pp. 2739-2748 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Williams ◽  
J.E. Haun ◽  
W.A. Friedl
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Blood Lactate ◽  
Tursiops Truncatus ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Lactate Concentration ◽  
Blood Lactate Concentration ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold

During diving, marine mammals must rely on the efficient utilization of a limited oxygen reserve sequestered in the lungs, blood and muscles. To determine the effects of exercise and apnea on the use of these reserves, we examined the physiological responses of adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) trained to breath-hold on the water surface or to dive to submerged targets at depths between 60 and 210 m. Changes in blood lactate levels, in partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide and in heart rate were assessed while the dolphins performed sedentary breath-holds. The effects of exercise on breath-hold capacity were examined by measuring heart rate and post-dive respiration rate and blood lactate concentration for dolphins diving in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Ascent and descent rates, stroke frequency and swimming patterns were monitored during the dives. The results showed that lactate concentration was 1.1+/−0.1 mmol l(−1) at rest and increased non-linearly with the duration of the sedentary breath-hold or dive. Lactate concentration was consistently higher for the diving animals at all comparable periods of apnea. Breakpoints in plots of lactate concentration and blood gas levels against breath-hold duration (P(O2), P(CO2)) for sedentary breath-holding dolphins occurred between 200 and 240 s. In comparison, the calculated aerobic dive limit for adult dolphins was 268 s. Descent and ascent rates ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 m s(−1) during 210 m dives and were often outside the predicted range for swimming at low energetic cost. Rather than constant propulsion, diving dolphins used interrupted modes of swimming, with more than 75 % of the final ascent spent gliding. Physiological and behavioral measurements from this study indicate that superimposing swimming exercise on apnea was energetically costly for the diving dolphin but was circumvented in part by modifying the mode of swimming.

Temperature effect on the human dive response in relation to cold water near-drowning

1984 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Hayward ◽  
C. Hay ◽  
B. R. Matthews ◽  
C. H. Overweel ◽  
D. D. Radford
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Cold Stimulation ◽  
Near Drowning ◽  
Voluntary Hyperventilation ◽  
Dive Response ◽  
Breath Hold Duration

To facilitate analysis of mechanisms involved in cold water near-drowning, maximum breath-hold duration (BHD) and diving bradycardia were measured in 160 humans who were submerged in water temperatures from 0 to 35 degrees C at 5 degrees C intervals. For sudden submersion BHD was dependent on water temperature (Tw) according to the equation BHD = 15.01 + 0.92Tw. In cold water (0–15 degrees C), BHD was greatly reduced, being 25–50% of the presubmersion duration. BHD after brief habituation to water temperature and mild, voluntary hyperventilation was more than double that of sudden submersion and was also dependent on water temperature according to the equation BHD = 38.90 + 1.70Tw. Minimum heart rate during both types of submersions (diving bradycardia) was independent of water temperature. The results are pertinent to accidental submersion in cold water and show that decreased breath-holding capacity caused by peripheral cold stimulation reduces the effectiveness of the dive response and facilitates drowning. These findings do not support the postulate that the dive response has an important role in the enhanced resuscitatibility associated with cold water near-drowning, thereby shifting emphasis to hypothermia as the mechanism for this phenomenon.

Respiratory neuromuscular output during breath holding

1981 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Whitelaw ◽  
B. McBride ◽  
J. Amar ◽  
K. Corbet
Keyword(s):  
Functional Residual Capacity ◽  
Negative Pressure ◽  
Respiratory Muscle ◽  
Time Derivative ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Simple Correlation ◽  
Residual Capacity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Almost All

The involuntary respiratory muscle contractions that occur during breath holding were found in almost all of 52 subjects and were regular in a majority. In detailed studies, subjects rebreathed a mixture of 8% CO2 in O2 and then held their breath on an occluded mouthpiece, with glottis open, at functional residual capacity. Contractions monitored as waves of negative pressure were reproducible and increased in amplitude and frequency through the breath hold, but the breakpoint did not always correspond to the same pressure or frequency. Frequency and the time derivative of pressure (dP/dt) of contractions were much higher during breath holding than frequency of breathing and dP/dt of occluded breaths at the same gas tensions during rebreathing. Contractions were reduced in amplitude after the subject took three breaths without altering gas tensions. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that contractions contribute to dyspnea in breath breath holding, but there is not a simple correlation between their magnitude and the degree of dyspnea.

Effects of Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers on breath-holding time

1977 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 717-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Holding Time ◽  
Breaking Point ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Sitting Position ◽  
Mouth Pressure ◽  
The Subject

Breath holding to the breaking point was studied at FRC in six healthy subjects in the sitting position. Breath-holding time increased with successive trials within experimental sessions in all subjects. To study the influence of Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers on breath-holding performance, sustained inspiratory or expiratory effort against an occluded mouthpiece was initiated 5 s before the anticipated breaking point, determined in previous trials. The subject tried to maintain a target mouth pressure of +20 or -20 cmH2O, displayed on an oscilloscope, for the remainder of the breath hold. Both types of maneuver consistently prolonged breath-holding time in all subjects. However, a control maneuver, in which the subjects squeezed rubber bulbs with their hands, was equally effective in prolonging breath-holding time. The results demonstrate the important influence of psychological factors on breath-holding performance and emphasize the need for caution in the interpretation of effects of “relieving maneuvers” on breath-holding time.

Simulated breath-hold diving to 20 meters: cardiac performance in humans

1987 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 2160-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ferrigno ◽  
D. D. Hickey ◽  
M. H. Liner ◽  
C. E. Lundgren
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Index ◽  
Systolic Time Intervals ◽  
Intrathoracic Pressure ◽  
Cardiac Performance ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Systolic Time ◽  
Blood Redistribution ◽  
Central Circulation

Cardiac performance was assessed in six subjects breath-hold diving to 20 m in a hyperbaric chamber, while nonsubmersed or submersed in a thermoneutral environment. Cardiac index and systolic time intervals were obtained with impedance cardiography and intrathoracic pressure with an esophageal balloon. Breath holding at large lung volume (80% vital capacity) decreased cardiac index, probably by increasing intrathoracic pressure and thereby impeding venous return. During diving, cardiac index increased (compared with breath holding at the surface) by 35.1% in the nonsubmersed and by 29.5% in the submersed condition. This increase was attributed to a fall in intrathoracic pressure. Combination of the opposite effects of breath holding and diving to 20 m left cardiac performance unchanged during the dives (relative to the surface control). A larger intrathoracic blood redistribution probably explains a smaller reduction in intrathoracic pressure observed during submersed compared with nonsubmersed diving. Submersed breath-hold diving may entail a smaller risk of thoracic squeeze (lesser intrathoracic pressure drop) but a greater risk of overloading the central circulation (larger intrathoracic blood pooling) than simulated nonsubmersed diving.

scholarly journals Effects of Thoracic Pressure Changes on MRI Signals in the Brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1024-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Wu ◽  
Peter A Bandettini ◽  
Ronald M Harper ◽  
Daniel A Handwerker
Keyword(s):  
Functional Mri ◽  
Valsalva Maneuver ◽  
Intrathoracic Pressure ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Signal Changes ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Pressure Changes ◽  
Calibrated Fmri

Cerebrovascular stressors, such as breath holding or CO2 inhalation, cause global magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal changes. In this study, we show that intrathoracic pressure changes cause rapid MRI signal alterations that have similar spatial patterns to the changes associated with breath holding or CO2 inhalation. Nine subjects performed the Valsalva maneuver during functional MRI data collection. Expiratory pressures ranged from 10 to 40 mm Hg. Breath holds ending on either inhalation or exhalation were also collected. The maximal and minimal functional MRI (fMRI) signal scaled with thoracic pressure load, and the overall amplitude of responses to the Valsalva varied, depending on brain tissue. Additionally, a Valsalva effort as short as 5 seconds yielded signal changes similar in spatial distribution and magnitude to a 20-second breath hold, suggesting potential applications of the Valsalva maneuver for calibrated fMRI experiments.

Chemical and nonchemical stimuli during breath holding in divers are not independent

1993 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 2022-2027 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Courteix ◽  
M. Bedu ◽  
N. Fellmann ◽  
M. C. Heraud ◽  
J. Coudert
Keyword(s):  
Vital Capacity ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Gas Mixture ◽  
Occlusion Pressure ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Motoneuron Activity ◽  
The Subject

In the breath-hold model described by S. Godfrey and E. J. M. Campbell (Respir. Physiol. 5: 385–400, 1968), chemical and nonchemical stimuli are independent. Because these two factors are time dependent, the effect of each could not be measured by breath-holding time (BHT). The aim of this study is to dissociate chemical and nonchemical stimuli and to assess the effects of BHT and PCO2 on respiratory center output by measurement of occlusion pressure (P0.1) and mean inspiratory flow (VI). Nine well-trained divers (age 36.5 +/- 5.0 yr) took part in the study. Each subject had to hold his breath at 75% of vital capacity for 30, 50, and 70 s of BHT. Before each breath hold, the subject inspired successively two vital capacities of the same CO2-O2 gas mixture. P0.1 and VI were measured during the first reinspiration after the breath hold. For the same BHT, we observed good linear relationships between P0.1 or VI and alveolar PCO2. The slopes of these relationships increased with BHT. For alveolar PCO2 of > 50 Torr, P0.1 increased linearly with BHT. These results indicate that, during breath holding, chemical and nonchemical stimuli acted linearly on respiratory motoneuron activity, but they were not independent.

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