Something doesn't seem quite right...

challengemaster

Bit of background - I'm a 2nd year science student thats taking physiology, in labs today I ended up as a guinea pig for the dogulas bag test for measuring tidal volume.

Results were:

Resting tidal volume: ~2L (normal resp rate of 14-16 breaths/min)
During exercise: ~5L (wasn't all that intensive either)

Now I know the test isn't 100% accurate, but that's 4 times the normal resting tidal volume.

This is the strange part though, I have asthma, grew up in a smoking household, and 3+ chest infections per year is normal for me. So it seems to go against logic....

Other info: 19, male, 5'11, ~70-75kg, BP 118/80, heart rate 76 bpm

Anyone hazard a guess as to why I've such a large tidal volume?

RobFowl

Miguel Indurain the Spanish cyclist who won the Tour de France 5 times had a tidal volume of 8L (was published in an academic journal which I'll try to root out the reference for).
Generally it's a freak of nature, Given my experience of physiology labs it usually poor experimental technique and badly calibrated meters though....

drzhivago

RobFowl wrote: »

Miguel Indurain the Spanish cyclist who won the Tour de France 5 times had a tidal volume of 8L (was published in an academic journal which I'll try to root out the reference for).
Generally it's a freak of nature, Given my experience of physiology labs it usually poor experimental technique and badly calibrated meters though....

Oh fowly I remember those days on the bike in the physiology lab and nearly fainting when Oxygen supply cut off by some smart arse standing on the hose

challengemaster

Well, there were 3 demonstrators involved in testing me (due to time constraints I was the only one from the class who got tested) so I'd say experimental technique errors were kept to a minimum...

freak of nature.... that's a new one to me!