Exercise and its impact on dyspnea

Dyspnea is a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that can limit the ability and motivation to perform exercise or exertion. It is a common problem that affects specific groups of patients, such as, those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and interstitial lung disease, and in healthy humans during aging, pregnancy, and obesity. In this review, the current mechanistic model of exertional dyspnea is summarized and new research demonstrating how treatment strategies improve dyspnea by reducing central ventilatory drive, improving dynamic ventilatory mechanics, and improving respiratory muscle function is highlighted. Lastly, we review the effects of healthy aging and recent evidence for a male–female difference with respect to exertional-related dyspnea.

► Dyspnea is the subjective experience of breathing discomfort.
► Dyspnea can be viewed as a mismatch between respiratory motor output and the responses to this output.
► Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective dyspnea-relieving treatment.