Most people notice that their breathing changes as they exercise. Whether you are breathing deeper, breathing longer, or are out of breath, your body is using your lungs to supply necessary oxygen to your muscles. And while your body is capable of storing many things, such as vitamins or fat, it is not able to store oxygen. The oxygen you inhale, whether during rest or activity, is constantly being burned to create energy for your body. And as you exercise, your breathing rate increases to balance the need for extra oxygen.
Blood
Your blood carries oxygen throughout your body. As you inhale, the lungs send the oxygen into your bloodstream, which then gets pumped through the rest of your body. As you exercise, more of your blood goes to the muscles that are being used; these muscles use the energy within the oxygen in your bloodstream to keep moving and working. If your muscles do not receive enough oxygen, your body will tell you to stop and breathe for a few minutes.
Carbon Dioxide
When you inhale, you are bringing oxygen into your body. When you exhale, you are letting carbon dioxide out. The change happens as your body uses the energy within the oxygen you inhale. As the energy from the oxygen is burned, your cells create carbon dioxide as a waste product. When you exercise, your muscles use more energy--more oxygen--thereby producing more carbon dioxide.
Medulla
The medulla is the part of your brain that controls your respiration rate. It tells your body to adjust its breathing patterns based on your current activity. But it does so based on the levels of carbon dioxide in your body. When your medulla detects that there is a larger-than-normal amount of carbon dioxide in your body, it recognizes that your body is using energy and requires more oxygen, involuntarily triggering an increased respiratory rate.
Respiratory Rate
Your body adjusts to a need for oxygen in two ways. The first is through your respiratory rate, or the speed at which you breathe. This action is involuntary, meaning that it happens on its own because your brain controls it, but it can also be voluntary if you choose to consciously regulate your breathing. As you exercise, your muscles will demand more oxygen, and your brain will tell your respiratory rate to speed up; it is an involuntary adjustment to your body’s needs.
Breathing More Deeply
Your body can also adjust to the need for more oxygen by breathing more deeply. This, like an increased respiratory rate, can be both voluntary and involuntary. Instead of working with the quick inhale-exhale patterns associated with a heightened respiratory rate, your body garners oxygen by gradually inhaling over a few seconds, then gradually exhaling over a few seconds. It still supplies your body with the needed oxygen, and if it does not, your body will automatically revert to the increased respiratory rate.
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