Investigating the physiological mechanisms of the oxygen consumption “slow component”.

The study of the oxygen consumption (VO2) kinetics is focused on the understanding of how human metabolism adjusts during the transition from a condition of resting/movement to another in order to satisfy the new energetic demand. As an integrated index of pulmonary, cardiovascular and muscles capacity VO2 kinetics have gained progressively increasing interests during the XX and the early XXI centuries. Thanks to the development of new technologies as well as an always increasing community of interested scientists in this subject, the knowledge in this field has been expanded considerably. However, some of the topics related to VO2 kinetics remain debated and call for further research. One of these topics is the loss of efficiency of human locomotion that occurs at the higher metabolic intensities, after the transitory period in which a new steady-state in VO2 should be achieved. This phenomenon is typically called VO2 “slow component”, as representative of a further increase in VO2 after the expected steady-state. The importance of the VO2 slow component lies in its link with exercise tolerance and on the understanding of the adaptations of the human body during physical activity. Therefore, researchers have tried to define the physiological underpinning of the slow component and to develop intervention strategies to reduce its amplitude. Nevertheless, a number of physiological uncertainties regarding the mechanistic bases of the slow component exist and require to be clarified. The purpose of this thesis was to deal with this gap and to study the origins of the VO2 slow component, and the loss of efficiency of locomotion that the slow component represents. In chapter one, a brief explanation of the VO2 response during exercise and the current explanatory theories for the VO2 slow component are provided. In chapter two, the experimental aims of the thesis are explained. Then, the results of four different studies are presented in chapters three, four, five, and six. Finally, chapter seven summarizes the main findings of this research work.