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Variability of ventilation during exercise is greater in adolescents than in adults

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Adolescence involves rapid physiological changes that may affect ventilatory control. This study used Poincaré and approximate entropy (ApEn) analyses to assess ventilatory variability and randomness during steady‐state exercise in adolescents and adults. Twelve adolescents (10–14 years) and 10 adults (25–35 years) completed 20 min of submaximal cycling at 1.0 W·kg −1 . The final 15 min were analyzed using Poincaré and ApEn. Continuous variables were expressed as median (interquartile range) and compared by the Mann–Whitney U ‐test ( α = 0.05). Adolescents showed greater breathing frequency (BF) standard deviation (SD) 1 4.7 (3.7–5.4) vs. 2.6 (2.5–3.3) 1·min −1 ( p < 0.01), BF SD2 4.9 (4.2–6.8) vs. 3.6 (3.5–4.3) 1 min −1 ( p = <0.05) and minute ventilation (V̇ E ) relative to body weight SD1 0.02 (0.02–0.03) vs. 0.01 (0.01–0.02) L·min −1 ·kg ( p = <0.01). ApEn was also higher in adolescents for V̇ E 1.23 (1.20–1.32) vs. 1.01 (0.93–1.25) ( p = <0.05), BF 1.26 (1.24–1.33) vs. 1.17 (1.01–1.18) ( p < 0.01) and tidal volume 1.33 (1.26–1.37) vs. 1.23 (1.14–1.27) ( p < 0.05). This study suggests that adolescents showed greater ventilatory variability and randomness compared to adults, likely reflecting developmental plasticity and immature ventilatory control.

Source: Physiological Reports

DOI: 10.14814/phy2.70846

Authors: Ryan Welch, Sarah Casey, John Kolbe, Kevin Ellyett

Institutions: University of Auckland, Health New Zealand

Language: English

Topic: Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,050