• Question: What is the biggest difference you have found in between a fit persons lungs and an unfit persons lungs?

    Asked by EH_12 to Tom on 7 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Tom Speight

      Tom Speight answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      Healthy lungs are much better at exchanging gas…

      The main job of your lungs to breathe in oxygen (that gives the body energy), and breathe out carbon dioxide. This happens as an exchange in the deepest part of the lungs, the alveoli. A network of capillaries which cary blood wrap around the alveoli and pick up oxygen that we’ve breathed in, and deposit the carbon dioxide to breathe out.
      Healthy people who exercise more can increase their lung capacity. This means they’re able to bring in more air and more oxygen to produce energy faster. This is why the more you do sports and exercise, the longer you can do it for because your lungs can bring in more oxygen to make energy.

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