Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Sep 1;55(9):1672-1682.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003187. Epub 2023 Apr 27.

A Systematic Review of Methods Used to Determine the Work of Breathing during Exercise

Troy J Cross  1 , Jennifer M J Isautier  1 , Eli F Kelley  2 , Colin D Hubbard  3 , Sarah J Morris  1 , Joshua R Smith  4 , Joseph W Duke  3
Affiliations

A Systematic Review of Methods Used to Determine the Work of Breathing during Exercise

Troy J Cross et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. .

Abstract

Introduction: Measurement of the work of breathing (Wb) during exercise provides useful insights into the energetics and mechanics of the respiratory muscles across a wide range of minute ventilations. The methods and analytical procedures used to calculate the Wb during exercise have yet to be critically appraised in the literature.

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the quality of methods used to measure the Wb during exercise in the available literature.

Methods: We conducted an extensive search of three databases for studies that measured the Wb during exercise in adult humans. Data were extracted on participant characteristics, flow/volume and pressure devices, esophageal pressure (P oes ) catheters, and methods of Wb analysis.

Results: A total of 120 articles were included. Flow/volume sensors used were primarily pneumotachographs ( n = 85, 70.8%), whereas the most common pressure transducer was of the variable reluctance type ( n = 63, 52.5%). Esophageal pressure was frequently obtained via balloon-tipped catheters ( n = 114, 95.0%). Few studies mentioned calibration, frequency responses, and dynamic compensation of their measurement devices. The most popular method of measuring the Wb was pressure-volume integration ( n = 51, 42.5%), followed by the modified Campbell ( n = 28, 23.3%) and Dean & Visscher diagrams ( n = 26, 21.7%). Over one-third of studies did not report the methods used to process their pressure-volume data, and the majority (60.8%) of studies used the incorrect Wb units and/or failed to discuss the limitations of their Wb measurements.

Conclusions: The findings of this systematic review highlight the need for the development of a standardized approach for measuring Wb, which is informative, practical, and accessible for future researchers.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Reinhard PA, Gerson EAM, Sheel AW, Archiza B. Quantifying the mechanical work of breathing in men and women during rowing. Eur J Appl Physiol . 2020;120(2):381–90.
    1. Guenette JA, Querido JS, Eves ND, Chua R, Sheel AW. Sex differences in the resistive and elastic work of breathing during exercise in endurance-trained athletes. Am J Phys Regul Integr Comp Phys . 2009;297(1):R166–75.
    1. Guenette JA, Witt JD, McKenzie DC, Road JD, Sheel AW. Respiratory mechanics during exercise in endurance-trained men and women. J Physiol . 2007;581(Pt 3):1309–22.
    1. Cross TJ, Sabapathy S, Beck KC, Morris NR, Johnson BD. The resistive and elastic work of breathing during exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. Eur Respir J . 2012;39(6):1449–57.
    1. Cross TJ, Kim CH, Johnson BD, Lalande S. The interactions between respiratory and cardiovascular systems in systolic heart failure. J Appl Physiol (1985) . 2020;128(1):214–24.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources