If you need to inhale at a slower rate than most people, is your body using oxygen more efficiently, or do you just have abnormally large lungs or something?

Question

i.e. Non-athlete having a resting breathing rate of 5-10 in comparison to the standard 12-20.

In: Biology

Answer 1

There are many components to getting the oxygen to the cells; the process only starts at the lungs.

The blood has a large role, and for example hemoglobin concentration (red cell count) increases for people living at high altitude on mountains, as the body adapts to lower levels of oxygen up there. A mountain person coming down to visit someone at sea level may breathe like you during the visit.

And the health of your heart and blood vessels also plays a large role in delivering oxygen to the cells; aerobic exercises are very good for you.