MODULE SUPPLEMENT: PULMONARY SYSTEM
Pulmonary Function in Response to Exercise

Maximum voluntary ventilation, which reflects one's breathing ability, is reduced in the older person due to the change in airflow dynamics and the changes in muscle strength. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems must function in tandem to meet needs during exercise so changes in the two together will influence exercise response.

Overall there is a decrease in Max O₂ Consumption (MVO₂ max) which is affected by activity. Studies also show that during exercise older adults tend to breathe at higher lung volumes to resist airway closure. That is, they breathe faster and shallower so that they are exchanging air above where they might experience airway closure. The schematic below, while far from scale, attempts to demonstrate this effect; the arrows indicate air exchange while the white line demarcates the part of the lung that might be less well ventilated.