The number of adults aged over 60 years will double in the next half century and unfortunately, even with life-long health, there is a progressive decline in respiratory function with ageing. The respiratory muscles become weaker, airways narrower, chest wall stiffer, and the lungs lose their elasticity. These changes result in breathlessness and exercise limitation. The respiratory system is classically suggested to be “overbuilt” and exceeds the demands placed upon it. However, this situation may not apply during high-intensity exercise where the demands may exceed its capacity. In many young and trained athletes, the respiratory system is “underbuilt” and can limit exercise performance. Whether the respiratory system limits exercise tolerance in endurance trained older adults is unknown. Accordingly, this project will investigate respiratory limitations to exercise in endurance trained older adults. Ultimately, this project will lead to the development of more effective therapies to improve respiratory function and exercise tolerance in older adults, reducing the incidence of functional disability and chronic diseases.

The candidate will join a successful team of multi-disciplinary scientists from several institutions, and will work in state-of-the-art laboratories with exceptional core facilities.

For informal discussion regarding the project, please contact: dean.mills@usq.edu.au

Assoc Prof Dean Mills

• Dr Ben Hoffman

• Centre for Health Sciences Research
• School of Health and Medical Sciences

• Human Movement and Sports Science
• Medical Physiology
• Physiology

• Doctor of Philosophy (DPHD)