Mechanical work of breathing during exercise in trained and untrained subjects

The mechanical work of breathing was measured from simultaneous records of esophageal pressure and tidal volume on seven well trained and seven untrained subjects exercising on a bicycle ergometer. At any given value of pulmonary ventilation, mechanical work of breathing was found to be the same for untrained and trained subjects. At any given value of oxygen uptake, pulmonary ventilation and, accordingly, mechanical work of breathing were found to be smaller in trained than in untrained individuals. Submitted on June 9, 1961