Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2014 | Editorial
Lung, not only heart
Author:
Annalisa Cogo
Published in:
Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine
|
Issue 1/2014
Login to get access
Excerpt
It is well known that physical exercise requires the coordinated function of the heart, lungs and peripheral and pulmonary circulation to support the increased demands of contracting muscles. This evidence is well represented by the so-called Wasserman’s gears representing the functional interdependence of the physiological components of the system and the mechanisms for coupling internal (i.e. cellular) and external (i.e. pulmonary) respiration [
1]. The working muscles need a huge increase in oxygen utilization, which is achieved by increasing the extraction of oxygen from blood perfusing muscles and by increasing cardiac output, pulmonary circulation and ventilation. …
