Ventilation, Carbon Dioxide Drive, and Dyspnea Associated with French Horn Playing: A Pilot Study

Ventilatory measures, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) levels, breathing patterns, and subjective measures of dyspnea were evaluated in professional French horn players (two men and one woman) to describe respiratory function during playing. A French horn was equipped with a flow sensor inserted into the bell to measure flow rates during playing and with a sampling tube at the mouthpiece to measure ETCO2 levels. Subjects performed three tasks: (1) maximal duration long tones on third space C at a dynamic level of p; (2) maximal duration long tones on third space C at a dynamic level of f; and (3) an orchestral excerpt consisting of a prolonged, repeated, single note pattern. Trial times and ETCO2 levels were greater during task 1 than task 2, but ventilatory volumes and dyspnea ratings were similar. For task 3, a strong correlation between ETCO2 values and dyspnea ratings and a strong inverse relationship between breathing frequency and ETCO2 levels were shown. These results suggest that ratings of dyspnea are affected by ETCO2 levels and that hypercapnia during certain types of playing may be prevented by more frequent small breaths.