Exercise-induced intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunting and pulmonary gas exchange

Recent research suggests the recruitment of intrapulmonary shunt vessels during exercise, which may contribute to the exercise-induced impairment in pulmonary gas exchange. These findings are consistent with substantial anatomical data demonstrating large-diameter (> 25 mu m) anatomical shunts in the lung, but are contrary to the considerable functional gas exchange-dependent research that has not detected right-to-left physiological shunt during exercise.