The respiratory quotient is an indicator that shows how quickly the body can expend respiratory energy during physical activity over a certain period of time. DC can be used to assess the energy capacity of muscles and their ability to work at high intensity.
Respiratory quotient is measured as the ratio of oxygen consumed by muscles to the amount of oxygen used per unit of time (for example, per minute). Oxygen consumption is related to the intensity of muscle work and metabolism. At rest, energy exchange is minimal, so breathing is not as important as during prolonged physical activity, when muscles can significantly use stored glycogen stores. In such conditions, breathing maintains a high intensity of the body's performance.
To assess the condition of an athlete, breathing is often used as an indirect indicator. To obtain the necessary data, a measurement of maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) is carried out - the largest amount of oxygen that the body