Effect of respiratory muscle fatigue on subsequent exercise performance

The purpose of this study was to determine whether induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue might impair subsequent exercise performance. Ten healthy subjects cycled to volitional exhaustion at 90% of their maximal capacity. Oxygen consumption, breathing pattern, and a visual analogue scale for respiratory effort were measured. Exercise was performed on three separate occasions, once immediately after induction of fatigue, whereas the other two episodes served as controls. Fatigue was achieved by having the subjects breathe against an inspiratory threshold load while generating 80% of their predetermined maximal mouth pressure until they could no longer reach the target pressure. After induction of fatigue, exercise time was reduced compared with control, 238 ± 69 vs. 311 ± 96 (SD) s (P < 0.001). During the last minute of exercise, oxygen consumption and heart rate were lower after induction of fatigue than during control, 2,234 ± 472 vs. 2,533 ± 548 ml/min (P < 0.002) and 167 ± 15 vs. 177 ± 12 beats/min (P < 0.002). At exercise isotime, minutes ventilation and the visual analogue scale for respiratory effort were larger after induction of fatigue than during control. In addition, at exercise isotime, relative tachypnea was observed after induction of fatigue. We conclude that induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue can impair subsequent performance of high-intensity exercise and alter the pattern of breathing during such exercise.