Dk. Mckenzie et al., TASK FAILURE WITH LACK OF DIAPHRAGM FATIGUE DURING INSPIRATORY RESISTIVE LOADING IN HUMAN-SUBJECTS, Journal of applied physiology, 82(6), 1997, pp. 2011-2019
Task failure during inspiratory resistive loading is thought to be acc
ompanied by substantial peripheral fatigue of the inspiratory muscles.
Six healthy subjects performed eight resistive breathing trials with
loads of 35, 50, 75 and 90% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) with
and without supplemental oxygen. MIP measured before, after, and at e
very minute during the trial increased slightly during the trials, eve
n when corrected for lung volume (e.g., for 24 trials breathing air, 1
2.5% increase, P < 0.05). In some trials, task failure occurred before
20 min id point of trial), and in these trials there was an increase
(end-tidal PCO2 (P < 0.01), despite the absence of peripheral muscle f
atigue. In four subjects (6 trials with task failure), there was no de
cline in twitch amplitude with bilateral phrenic stimulation or in vol
untary activation of the diaphragm, even though end-tidal PCO2 rose by
1.6 +/- 0.9%. These results suggest that hypoventilation, CO2 retenti
on, and ultimate task failure during resistive breathing are not simpl
y dependent on impaired force-generating capacity of the diaphragm or
impaired voluntary activation of the diaphragm.