INTRODUCTION: Reduced breathing frequency (RBF) is often used during regular swimming training. Due to athlete's distress reported after the exercise with RBF, it has been speculated that high intensity workloads can be simulated at moderate intensities by RBF (West et al., 2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare some respiratory and metabolic responses during constant load exercises with different breathing conditions (spontaneous and RBF), performed at different absolute intensity. METHODS: Eight healthy male subjects performed an incremental cycling test twice: first, with spontaneous breathing and second, with RBF at 10 breaths per minute. A constant load test with RBF (B10) was then performed to exhaustion at the peak power output obtained during the incremental test with RBF. Finally, the subjects performed constant load test with the spontaneous breathing (SB). This test was performed to exhaustion at peak power output obtained during the incremental test with spontaneous breathing. Respiratory parameters (VE, PETO2, PETCO2), metabolic parameters (VO2, VCO2) and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were measured during both constant load tests. Capillary blood samples were taken before and every minute during both constant load tests for measuring lactate concentration ([LA]) and parameters of blood acid-base status (pH, Pco2,). RESULTS: Regardless of the type of comparison (the data obtained at the defined time or maximum and minimum values during the exercise), there were significant differences between SB and B10 in all respiratory parameters, metabolic parameters and SaO2 (p . 0.01 and 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant lower [LA-] and Pco2 during B10, when compared to SB (p.0.01). However, there were no significant differences in pH during the exercise between different breathing conditions. DISCUSSION: Due to obtained results it could be concluded that RBF during exercise at lower absolute intensity did not produce similar conditions as they were during the exercise with spontaneous breathing at higher absolute intensity
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