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Cardiovascular, respiratory and splenic responses to rebreathing and apnoea during exercise

Dotevall, Theodore ; Persson, Maja ; Sjögreen, Bodil LU orcid ; Linér, Mats H. LU ; Lodin-Sundström, Angelica LU orcid and Andersson, Johan P.A. LU orcid (2025) In Experimental Physiology p.1-17
Abstract

We investigated integrative physiological responses to eupnoeic exercise (EX), rebreathing exercise (RB), dynamic apnoea (DA) and dynamic apnoea with cold-water face immersion (DAFI) in 20 healthy participants. Trials involved non-steady-state cycle exercise at 60 W for an average duration of 66 s. With increases in heart rate and stroke volume, EX and RB increased cardiac output compared with baseline (mean [SD] EX +47 [13]%, RB +43 [15]%). During DA and DAFI, the increase in cardiac output was attenuated (DA +26 [23]%, DAFI +14 [21]%). EX and RB elicited reductions in total peripheral resistance (EX −37 [7]%, RB −23 [15]%). This reduction was absent during apnoeas (DA +3 [31]%, DAFI +15 [40]%). Pulmonary oxygen uptake was the lowest... (More)

We investigated integrative physiological responses to eupnoeic exercise (EX), rebreathing exercise (RB), dynamic apnoea (DA) and dynamic apnoea with cold-water face immersion (DAFI) in 20 healthy participants. Trials involved non-steady-state cycle exercise at 60 W for an average duration of 66 s. With increases in heart rate and stroke volume, EX and RB increased cardiac output compared with baseline (mean [SD] EX +47 [13]%, RB +43 [15]%). During DA and DAFI, the increase in cardiac output was attenuated (DA +26 [23]%, DAFI +14 [21]%). EX and RB elicited reductions in total peripheral resistance (EX −37 [7]%, RB −23 [15]%). This reduction was absent during apnoeas (DA +3 [31]%, DAFI +15 [40]%). Pulmonary oxygen uptake was the lowest during DAFI. At the end of hypoxic trials, end-tidal partial pressures of O2 were RB 50.3 [11.9], DA 57.9 [14.0] and DAFI 61.4 [13.6] mmHg, indicating a preservation of the central oxygen store during DA and DAFI. At the same time, peripheral tissue oxygen saturation, measured in the working rectus femoris muscle, declined the most during DA and DAFI (RB −1.4 [3.5]%, DA −4.7 [3.3]%, DAFI −5.6 [4.4]%). Splenic volume increased during EX (+8.4 [5.8]%) but decreased during RB (−10.5 [10.2]%), DA (−6.4 [10.8]) and DAFI (−13.3 [11.1]%) when compared with EX, suggesting erythrocyte mobilization in the threat of hypoxia. The non-steady-state apnoea interventions of the present study evoke a progressive shift from exercise-induced cardiovascular responses towards a diving response, including cardiac, vascular and splenic responses. These responses are amplified to some extent by cold-water face immersion. Apnoea-induced responses lead to central oxygen preservation and a decrease in peripheral oxygen stores.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
apnoea, exercise, rebreathing
in
Experimental Physiology
pages
1 - 17
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:105026033331
  • pmid:41456200
ISSN
0958-0670
DOI
10.1113/EP093350
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Experimental Physiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Physiological Society.
id
b960602e-fc41-41ad-a25b-9f0389dac3bf
date added to LUP
2026-01-15 19:54:47
date last changed
2026-01-17 03:13:59
@article{b960602e-fc41-41ad-a25b-9f0389dac3bf,
  abstract     = {{<p>We investigated integrative physiological responses to eupnoeic exercise (EX), rebreathing exercise (RB), dynamic apnoea (DA) and dynamic apnoea with cold-water face immersion (DAFI) in 20 healthy participants. Trials involved non-steady-state cycle exercise at 60 W for an average duration of 66 s. With increases in heart rate and stroke volume, EX and RB increased cardiac output compared with baseline (mean [SD] EX +47 [13]%, RB +43 [15]%). During DA and DAFI, the increase in cardiac output was attenuated (DA +26 [23]%, DAFI +14 [21]%). EX and RB elicited reductions in total peripheral resistance (EX −37 [7]%, RB −23 [15]%). This reduction was absent during apnoeas (DA +3 [31]%, DAFI +15 [40]%). Pulmonary oxygen uptake was the lowest during DAFI. At the end of hypoxic trials, end-tidal partial pressures of O<sub>2</sub> were RB 50.3 [11.9], DA 57.9 [14.0] and DAFI 61.4 [13.6] mmHg, indicating a preservation of the central oxygen store during DA and DAFI. At the same time, peripheral tissue oxygen saturation, measured in the working rectus femoris muscle, declined the most during DA and DAFI (RB −1.4 [3.5]%, DA −4.7 [3.3]%, DAFI −5.6 [4.4]%). Splenic volume increased during EX (+8.4 [5.8]%) but decreased during RB (−10.5 [10.2]%), DA (−6.4 [10.8]) and DAFI (−13.3 [11.1]%) when compared with EX, suggesting erythrocyte mobilization in the threat of hypoxia. The non-steady-state apnoea interventions of the present study evoke a progressive shift from exercise-induced cardiovascular responses towards a diving response, including cardiac, vascular and splenic responses. These responses are amplified to some extent by cold-water face immersion. Apnoea-induced responses lead to central oxygen preservation and a decrease in peripheral oxygen stores.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dotevall, Theodore and Persson, Maja and Sjögreen, Bodil and Linér, Mats H. and Lodin-Sundström, Angelica and Andersson, Johan P.A.}},
  issn         = {{0958-0670}},
  keywords     = {{apnoea; exercise; rebreathing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--17}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Experimental Physiology}},
  title        = {{Cardiovascular, respiratory and splenic responses to rebreathing and apnoea during exercise}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/EP093350}},
  doi          = {{10.1113/EP093350}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}