Why do your respiration go up as you exercise?

Answer 1

There are two reasons you breath harder and faster while exercising. The first, and most obvious is that your muscles need oxygen in order to work. When they work hard it uses up the oxygen reserves in your bloodstream. The second reason is to remove byproducts and wastes from the blood.

There are three chemoreceptors in the body. They are located in the medulla (brain), the carotid arteries in the neck, and the aortic arch (the main vein that brings blood back to the heart). These chemoreceptor detect increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood and send the signal for us to increase respirations.

When you exercise, the muscles use up oxygen. When the oxygen level drops the CO2 level rises. Chemoreceptor detect high CO2 and send a signal to your brain for you to breath harder to try to restore oxygen levels and remove excess CO2.

Muscle movement uses oxygen, and produces lactic acid as a byproduct. Lactic acid is what causes muscles to feel like their are 'burning' during a workout. Lactic acid is carried away from the muscles by oxygen. This is another reason why we breath harder when we exercise. When you first start a workout, you can often feel a kind of muscle 'ache', sometimes for days, after a workout. That is caused by the lactic acid that remains trapped in the muscle. As you workout more, and your cardio-vascular system improves. You heart becomes a stronger pump, and your veins and arteries become better at oxygenating and removing byproduct from your body. That's why you breath easier, and 'burn' and 'ache' less as you workout more.

Hope that's helpful.

Answer 2

Because when your exercising your asking your body to work harder than usual. Therefore you body needs more oxygen to perform the task so naturally your respiration rate will increase in order to increase your oxygen intake and your heart rate will increase as well in order to circulate your blood faster so the oxygen can get to your cells faster. The harder you workout the harder your body will work to keep up with you.

Answer 3

Because exercise is considered "aerobic." Meaning that air is required. As you exercise & your muscles are using oxygen, your body compensates by making you breath faster, in turn increasing the amount of oxygen going to your muscles.

Answer 4

The more the cells work, the more they need a supply of oxygen.

Answer 5

Your muscles need oxygen to work. If they don't get enough you get a cramp.