Ventilatory Response to CO2 During Work at Normal and at Low Oxygen Tensions

Abstract

Summary.: The sensitivity of the respiratory center to CO₂ during muscular work at normal and at low oxygen tensions has been studied in three human subjects.It was found that the rectilinear part of the stimulus‐response curves in normal air was displaced to the left of the resting curve and the more so the higher the work intensity. The steepness of the curves was in the majority of cases about the same. In low oxygen the stimulus‐response curves were displaced more to the left and were much steeper than for the same work intensity in normal air. The flattening of the stimulus‐response curves found at higher CO₂ concentrations is assumed to be due mainly to a special depressant effect of high CO₂ tensions on the respiratory center.