Exercise ventilatory kinematics in endurance trained and untrained men and women

To determine how increased ventilatory demand impacts ventilatory kinematics, we compared the total chest wall volume variations (V-CW) of male and female endurance-trained athletes (ET) to untrained individuals (UT) during exercise. We hypothesized that training and gender would have an effect on V-CW and kinematics at maximal exercise. Gender and training significantly influenced chest wall kinematics. Female ET did not change chest wall end-expiratory volume (V-CW,V-ee) or pulmonary ribcage (V-RCp,V-ee) with exercise, while female UT significantly decreased V-CW,V-ee and V-RCp,V-ee with exercise (p < 0.05). Female ET significantly increased pulmonary ribcage end-inspiratory volume (V-RCp,V-ei) with exercise (p < 0.05). while female UT did not change V-RCp,V-ei with exercise. Male ET significantly increased V-RCp,V-ei with exercise (p < 0.05): male UT did not. Men and women had significantly different variation of V-CW (p < 0.05). Women demonstrated the greatest variation of V-CW in the pulmonary ribcage compartment (V-RCp). Men had even volumes variation of the V-RCp and the abdomen (V-Ab). In conclusion, gender and training had a significant impact on ventilatory kinematics. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.