Final answer:
Increased work of breathing, such as during exercise, typically leads to increased oxygen consumption and increased carbon dioxide production due to elevated metabolic demands of the muscles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under most circumstances, increased work of breathing results in increased oxygen consumption and increased carbon dioxide production. When the work of breathing is increased, for example during exercise, there is a heightened metabolic activity within the muscles. This increased muscle activity demands more oxygen to sustain aerobic respiration and produce energy in the form of ATP.
As a result, the oxygen consumption goes up. At the same time, this elevated metabolic activity produces more carbon dioxide as a waste product which then needs to be expelled from the body. Consequently, the respiratory system has to work harder to both intake more oxygen and expel the increased levels of carbon dioxide, which explains the increase in the breathing rate observed after intense physical activity. In addition, increased ventilation can occur due to hyperpnea, which can be initiated by exercise and involves increased rate and depth of breathing.