The importance of breathing monitoring in sport and exercise

Breathing is a vital function of the human body. It guarantees air exchange with the atmosphere and the pulmonary diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and it also subserves other functions including acid-base balance and thermoregulation. However, the importance of breathing in the context of exercise performance has classically been overlooked, partially because the pulmonary system has long been considered “overbuilt” for exercise. This position has changed over the years along with evidence suggesting that the pulmonary system might contribute to limiting exercise performance in some circumstances. However, irrespective of its role in limiting endurance performance, breathing contains a mine of information that is rarely exploited satisfactorily. Any attempt to monitor breathing during exercise should be guided by a clear understanding of the information that the different ventilatory variables may provide to the user. This talk will present evidence suggesting that respiratory frequency is a valid marker of physical effort, while tidal volume is associated with some metabolic variables. It will be outlined that careful consideration of the differential control of respiratory frequency and tidal volume is needed to effectively design breathing monitoring services.