Inspiration, respiratory rate, and respiratory therapy

A research team is interested in investigating the properties of the muscles and organs involved in breathing. They hope to develop a therapy program to improve the respiratory habits of asthma sufferers and lung cancer patients.

They begin by executing a study comparing the respiration rate of males with their volume of inspiration. Twenty males are used in their sample. The requirements for being in the study are to have a weight between 160 and 180 pounds, to be a non-smoker, and to be aged between 25 and 35 years old.

Participants are hooked up to a machine that measures the volume of inspiration, as well as the respiratory rate. Volume of respiration is measured as the amount of air coming into the lungs with each breath the person takes. Respiratory rate is measured as the number of breaths per minute.

Figure 1. A graph depicting the results of the inspiration vs respiratory rate study.