Phenomenon: Miss Westbrook visited family in Aspen last spring. Aspen is in Colorado and has an elevation of 8,000-9,000 feet. The Bay Area has an elevation of 0-100 feet. Miss Westbrook’s breathing and heart rate both sped up every time she went hiking or skiing in Aspen. Why do you think this happened? Hint: Your brain regulates the rate and depth of your breathing to match the needs of your body for 02 intake and CO2 removal.

Breathing rate refers to the number of breaths per minute.