Running head: I Breathe Sports
I Breathe Sports:
Do multiple sport athletes truly have a better lung capacity than teens that play one sport or no
sport at all?
Kayla Hope
Tamaqua Area Senior High School
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I Breathe Sports
Are you an active participant in sports or exercising? Perhaps you would rather not
exercise and enjoy other activities instead. Many times it is assumed that teen athletes have better
lung capacities than non-athletes. Is it logical to believe that more sports you play, the better your
lung capacity will be? Does the amount of activity a teen participates in really have an effect on
their lungs? Overall, does the amount of exercise affect the lung capacity in teens? Athletes
always use their lungs when breathing deeply and heavily. Therefore, it is sometimes assumed
that if teenagers play multiple sports, then their lung capacity should be greater than those who
play one sport or no sport at all.
The lungs in the human body are obviously vital. They, along with the whole respiratory
system, supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Oxygen is brought into the
lungs through the trachea (“The Lungs,” n.d.). The trachea branches off into many smaller tubes
and a large amount of air sacs that are both filled with capillaries, or small blood vessels. If these
tubes and air sacs were laid flat, they would cover over 100 square yards; they have more surface
area than a person’s skin (“The Lungs,” n.d.). Research states that the average person’s lungs
hold about five liters of air. Every time a person inhales, more air is added. In fact,
approximately 500 milliliters of additional air is added when inhaling (Beals et al., 2000).
Furthermore, the same volume of air escapes when a person exhales. In humans, normal
breathing includes steady inhaling and exhaling. This steady breathing is known as tidal volume.
For one turn of a cycle of inhaling and exhaling, it takes approximately five seconds (Beals et al.,
2000). With each breath, the lung contains a volume of air known as the functional residual
capacity. In humans, the functional residual capacity is approximately 2200 milliliters. The
volume of air held within the lungs differentiates based on age, body build, sex, and weight. In
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fact, males are said to have approximately 25% higher lung capacity and females do (Beals et al.,
2000).
Along with tidal volume and residual capacity, the lungs hold a variety of other
capacities. Two examples of other capacities include the inspiratory reserve volume (IRV) and
expiratory reserve volume (ERV). The IRV is the maximum volume that can be inspired over the
inhaling of tidal volume, whereas, the ERV is the expired over the exhaling of tidal volume
(“Lung Volumes,” 2010). The total lung capacity (TLC) is the volume of air in the lungs after
maximum expiration. This can be found by adding the inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory
reserve volume, tidal volume, and the residual volume together. The residual volume is the
maximum amount of air produced after expiration (“Lung Volumes,” 2010). These lung
capacities (except residual volume) are all measured through the science of spirometry on a
spirometer. A spirometer measures the amount of air inspired or expired over a period of time. A
spirometer can test deep inspiration or expiration to help tell information about vital capacity
(“Spirometry,” 1995).
Exercising and participating in sports both have many benefits on the human body.
While exercising helps you look better by toning your muscles and feel better by giving you
more energy, it can also benefit you internally (“Fitness,” n.d.). If you condition normally, your
heart and lungs can function more efficiently and your stamina will be built. However, exercise
can also be very damaging if not completed correctly. Exercise can trigger asthma or
emphysema. (“Fitness,” n.d.). This is induced by coughing and shortness of breath due to
exertion. Episodes from these breathing problems can be very serious to one’s health. Lung
problems cause shortness in breath and, therefore, result in fast muscle fatigue. Exercise does not
prevent lung function; though, exercise can improve breathing endurance by strengthening
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muscles (Abott et al., 2008).
If a teen does not have the best lung capacity, they are able to increase it by completing
certain actions. By increasing your physical activity, your lung capacity should grow larger.
Research states that by participating in many cardiovascular exercises, lung capacity can be
strengthened. Also, training at higher altitudes and not smoking can increase capacity (David,
2010). Because there is less pressure from the atmosphere at higher altitudes, lung capacity will
be greater. Though, one must be careful of going from sea level to higher altitudes to train in fear
of becoming sick with altitude sickness. Major changes in altitude can be so serious that it may
end fatally (David, 2010).
Smoking decreases lung capacity. A study proved that the longer and more cigarettes
teenagers smoked, the more damage was done to their lungs. Because more than 3,000
adolescents begin smoking each day, questions about their health are becoming more common
(Brody, 1996). It is said that non-smoking teenagers are more likely to have better respiratory
healthy later on in life. It was proven that teenage girls are more likely to be negatively affected
in their lungs by the consequences of smoking cigarettes (Brody, 1996). Cigarettes contain tar
and nicotine. Tar is the residue left in smoker’s lungs after they have completed smoking a
cigarette. Nicotine is absorbed through the blood and, for a period of time, makes the blood
vessels smaller. This puts pressure on the heart since it has to pump harder. Nicotine also
paralyzes the cilia that line the trachea, making it harder to rid the tar from the lungs. Also,
nicotine is the substance smokers get addicted to (“Smoking’s Effects,” n.d.). Eventually, tar
blocks the bronchiole tubes (the split from the trachea) and close them off from the air sacs,
called alveoli. This triggers coughing. As time progresses, the alveoli walls fuse and surface area
is decreased, causing emphysema (“Smoking’s Effects,” n.d.). Smoking not only has an effect
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on lungs but also targets the heart, as well. Therefore, it should be stopped and positive tasks
should be completed to increase lung function.
Eating right can have a healthy effect on lungs. Research proves that eating apples and
tomatoes can help from healthy lungs. The antioxidant flavonoid, quercetin, which is found in
apples, is an important factor in protecting the lungs against pollutants and cigarette smoke
(“Apples and Tomatoes,” 2001). Quercetin is found in tea, onions, and red wine, as well.
Overall, eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help decrease the risk of asthma or other lung
diseases (“Apples and Tomatoes,” 2001).
Although breathing is an instinctive procedure that is completed involuntary, there are
proper techniques. Poor breathing rids the body of energy. Quick and shallow breathing can lead
to a poor supply of oxygen throughout the body. This means muscles will become fatigued faster
(Fitzpatrick, n.d.). Relaxing and taking long, slow, deep breaths can help bring more oxygen
into the body. Complete breath exercises, Chinese breath exercises, and humming breath
exercises are just some techniques used for proper breathing. Activities such as yoga encourage
and teach breathing exercises for health and total relaxation (Fitzpatrick, n.d.). Breathing
correctly will bring more oxygen into the lungs and make for a healthier being.
Being more active should account for better lung capacity. By exercising more, your
lungs will be able to work better, bringing more oxygen to your cells. Exercise makes for a
healthier body both by physical looks and internal well being. A number of tasks can increase
lung capacity. These include eating right, completing cardiovascular exercises, and practicing
correct breathing procedures. On the contrary, smoking is very malevolent to lungs and is
strongly discouraged. In conclusion, exercise, along with a number of other easy tasks, can
strengthen your body and make for a better, healthier you!
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References
Abott et al. (2008). Exercise-Exercise’s Effect on the Lungs. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from
http://health.marylandgeneral.org/patiented/articles/what_effect_of_exercise_on_chroni
_lung_disease_asthma_000029_6.htm
Anonymous (2001). Apples and Tomatoes ‘Good for Lungs.’ Retrieved April 12, 2010, from,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1343502.stm
Anonymous (n.d.). Fitness and Exercise. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from
http://www.faqs.org/docs/consumer/exercise.html
Anonymous (2010). Lung Volumes and Capacities Retrieved April 13, 2010, from
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/airway/lungvolumes.cfm
Anonymous (n.d.). The Lungs. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from
http://www.aarc.org/klein/lungs.asp
Anonymous (n.d.). Smoking’s Effects on the Lungs. Retrieved on April 13, 2010, from
http://www.allsands.com/health/smokingeffects_srw_gn.htm
Anonymous (1995). Spirometry. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from,
http://oac.med.jhmi.edu/res_phys/Encyclopedia/Spirometry/Spirometry.HTML
Beals et al. (2000). Rhythms in Breathing and Lung Capacity. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from
http://www.tiem.utk.edu/bioed/webmodules/lungcapacity.html
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Brody, Jane (1996). Study Finds Stunted Lungs in Young Smokers. Retrieved on April 12, 2010,
from https://www.dartmouth.edu/~chance/course/Syllabi/96Dartmouth/teens.html
David, Marc (2010). Your Three Best Options for Increased Lung Capacity. Retrieved April 12,
2010, from http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3349/1/Your-3-Best-Options-forIncreased-Lung-Capacity.html.
Fitzpatrick, Lois (n.d.). Breathing Exercises. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from,
http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm
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