Fitness / unfitness and breathing
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
You are right that he would be doing the same amount of work, but a fit body is much more efficient than an unfit one. You are probably extracting more oxygen from each breath than he does, and your muscles will make better use of it than his do.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
[QUOTE 2756442, member: 9609"]
I was out with a lad this afternoon who was completely unfit (½my age), [/quote]
This is your answer - everything else is a distraction from it.
I was out with a lad this afternoon who was completely unfit (½my age), [/quote]
This is your answer - everything else is a distraction from it.
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Roadrider48
Voice of the people
- Location
- Londonistan
The more you ride, the fitter you become....little by little.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
[QUOTE 2756442, member: 9609"]OK I know its probably a stupid question, but here goes.
I was out with a lad this afternoon who was completely unfit (½my age), we went up this big hill (very slowly) and I noticed how deeply he was breathing, verging on being out of breath - whereas my breathing had not really changed. He must have been taking in 10x as much air as me. Now this puzzled me;
We are both about the same weight and we had went up the same hill at the same speed - so we both must have used the same amount of energy in the same time. Therefore our muscles had done the same amount of work, and presumably burnt up the same amount of calories. So why would his body be demanding so much more oxygen than mine.? we would have both burnt the same amount of calories therefor we would have used up the same amount of oxygen![/quote]
Despite operating at ~ the same absolute level going up the hill, you will both have been working at different intensities i.e. different levels relative to your threshold. As he was very unfit he will have been riding at much closer to, or indeed over his threshold whereas yourself were probably below or at threshold.
I was out with a lad this afternoon who was completely unfit (½my age), we went up this big hill (very slowly) and I noticed how deeply he was breathing, verging on being out of breath - whereas my breathing had not really changed. He must have been taking in 10x as much air as me. Now this puzzled me;
We are both about the same weight and we had went up the same hill at the same speed - so we both must have used the same amount of energy in the same time. Therefore our muscles had done the same amount of work, and presumably burnt up the same amount of calories. So why would his body be demanding so much more oxygen than mine.? we would have both burnt the same amount of calories therefor we would have used up the same amount of oxygen![/quote]
Despite operating at ~ the same absolute level going up the hill, you will both have been working at different intensities i.e. different levels relative to your threshold. As he was very unfit he will have been riding at much closer to, or indeed over his threshold whereas yourself were probably below or at threshold.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
[QUOTE 2757102, member: 9609"]Your quote is different to the one I have just quoted and the one I can see?
Anyway - but the energy burnt will be very similar, and as I would imagine we all combine the bodies fuel with oxygen at very similar ratios, he should not have required more oxygen than me.
In fact, as I am fitter I will probably have a higher metabolism than him, so could there even be an argument that I will be the one requiring the most oxygen.[/quote]
In addition to genetic traits, such as your lung capacity vs his, as such per breath you may take in a larger volume of oxygen due to lung size etc, many physiological adaptations occur as you become fitter.
Concentrating on the disparity between your fitness levels, as you are fitter a larger amount of oxygen inhaled will be delivered to the muscles due to greater capillarization. Hence you would need to breath less to get the same amount of oxygen to the muscle, i.e. you put out more power for a lower heart rate as you get fitter. As the effort goes up relative to both of your thresholds (of which his will be lower, at least relative to his body weight it will be anyway), his muscles will start to become deprived of oxygen before yours do, hence deep ragged breathing.
Or indeed you might just be better at controlling your breath appropriately either consciously or unconsciously.
Anyway - but the energy burnt will be very similar, and as I would imagine we all combine the bodies fuel with oxygen at very similar ratios, he should not have required more oxygen than me.
In fact, as I am fitter I will probably have a higher metabolism than him, so could there even be an argument that I will be the one requiring the most oxygen.[/quote]
In addition to genetic traits, such as your lung capacity vs his, as such per breath you may take in a larger volume of oxygen due to lung size etc, many physiological adaptations occur as you become fitter.
Concentrating on the disparity between your fitness levels, as you are fitter a larger amount of oxygen inhaled will be delivered to the muscles due to greater capillarization. Hence you would need to breath less to get the same amount of oxygen to the muscle, i.e. you put out more power for a lower heart rate as you get fitter. As the effort goes up relative to both of your thresholds (of which his will be lower, at least relative to his body weight it will be anyway), his muscles will start to become deprived of oxygen before yours do, hence deep ragged breathing.
Or indeed you might just be better at controlling your breath appropriately either consciously or unconsciously.
ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
You are either over complicating things or you do not grasp the basics of 'fitness'. When you train correctly for endurance you work on increasing you bodies ability to consume oxygen efficiently, this is known as aerobic training, beyond a certain point this capacity will fail and you must either stop or go into a temporary oxygen debt, this capacity can also be trained but lets keep it simple. Your young friend was gasping for air because of his limited aerobic capacity and nothing to do with calories or energy.
50000tears
Senior Member
- Location
- Weymouth, Dorset
Just think of the difference as that between a Fiat Uno doing 100 miles an hour and Ferrari 365 doing the same speed. The fiat will be screaming hard whilst the Ferrari purrs along with plenty to spare. Rob3rt has described it very well though, it is simply how close your friend is cycling to his max capacity whilst you are still very comfortable so your system doesn't have to work nearly as hard.
