Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - why do I yawn?

I find that when I cycle home, often after going up the big hill, I do a giant, bug catching yawn. I can't help myself and I wonder if yawning is somehow the body's way of getting more oxygen into your system.

Anyone else do this? And ideas why? Has anyone yawned since reading this post?

THE TRUTH IS that we don’t completely understand why people, or animals for that matter, yawn.
It’s widely assumed that yawning occurs because we are tired or bored or because we see someone else doing it, but there isn’t any hard evidence to support these beliefs.
Scientists do not purport to know all of the biological mechanisms of the yawn, but tend to agree that a yawn is an involuntary respiratory reflex, which regulates the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the blood.
Technically, a yawn is the reflex opening of the mouth followed by the deep inhalation and slow exhalation of oxygen.
The very act of yawning is but one of a number of involuntary reflexes controlled by the spinal and nerve centers.
Scientists speculate that the onset of a yawn is triggered either by fatigue, or by sheer boredom as, at those times, breathing is shallow, and little oxygen is carried to the lungs by the oxygen-toting cardiovascular system.
When one yawns, his or her alertness is heightened, as the sudden intake of oxygen increases the heart rate, rids the lungs and the bloodstream of the carbon dioxide buildup, and forces oxygen through blood vessels in the brain, while restoring normal breathing and ventilating the lungs.
This quite plausible theory of yawning falls short of explaining many aspects of yawning. Scientists explain away the "contagious" nature of yawning, that is when one person's yawn triggers another nearby to yawn, as due to the power of suggestion, but are at a loss when attempting to explain why yawning occurs excessively in patients with lower brainstem damage or with multiple sclerosis.
Other unlocked mysteries include why fetuses in the womb yawn, when it is a well-known fact that they do not intake oxygen into their lungs until after live birth, or why individuals with high concentrations of oxygen in their blood streams yawn.
Until these questions are answered, do not assume that a person who yawns in your presence is bored with what you are saying, or suffers from exhaustion. Simply be pleased that he or she is not bored to death.http://img52.exs.cx/img52/8605/h9yboredom.gif

Are you some sort of scientist, or did you look that up? It was a brilliant answer.

Also, should I report my yawning behaviour to some sort of international yawn research centre? My yawning may contain the answer the scientists have been looking for.

When one yawns, his or her alertness is heightened, as the sudden intake of oxygen increases the heart rate, rids the lungs and the bloodstream of the carbon dioxide buildup, and forces oxygen through blood vessels in the brain, while restoring normal breathing and ventilating the lungs.

That was what I remember from biology class. Guess there is more to it.

yawning can be related to something like a heart murmur where you CV system isn't as efficient as it should be

I find that when I cycle home, often after going up the big hill, I do a giant, bug catching yawn. I can't help myself and I wonder if yawning is somehow the body's way of getting more oxygen into your system.

Anyone else do this? And ideas why? Has anyone yawned since reading this post?

I recall reading recently that some people breathe too shallow when they're exerting themselves. This could lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide in your lungs, possibly leading to your "giant, bug catching yawn". Try breathing deeper while you're climbing and see if that makes a difference. If not, perhaps you need an iPod to relieve the boredom :D (just kidding on this part).

Want some real fun? Try holding a Burmese Python while it yawns. I thought it was measuring me for size.

yawning can be related to something like a heart murmur where you CV system isn't as efficient as it should be

:eek: is that bad? that sounds bad to me

That was what I remember from biology class. Guess there is more to it.

Do you remember plagiarizing from English class? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076713/ :rolleyes: :p

Hey Doctor Mazama, this person is copying you : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070717132256AAtTf5m

But they're doing it in a very sneaky way by writing it 7 months ago :)

I also found this :
"Another puzzling phenomenon is that some male animals, men included, yawn in association with penile erection (although it’s presumptuous to assume they’re bored with their sex lives)."
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076713/

I'm not enjoying cycling up hills that much!

My favourite reason is that it cools your brain - Gallup, A.C. and Gallup, G.G., Yawning as a brain cooling mechanism: Nasal breathing and forehead cooling diminish the incidence of contagious yawning, Evolutionary Psychology, 5:92-101, 2007.

So I'm going to ride home tonight, breathing deeply, listening to music and without my hat on. Should be yawn free.

Remembering from my Respiratory Therapist class days... ;)

Mammals yawn approximately 6-10 times per hour. This process recruits alveoli and prevents atelectasis (the collapsing of air sacs within the lung). When patients are anesthesized and placed on a ventilator (with the inability to yawn) atelectasis increases. Ventilator settings were added known as "sigh breaths". Conventional wisdom was to set them at 6-10 X per hour to simulate yawns.

This proved to help with the recruitment of alveoli.

On a side note "excessive" yawning can be a sign of a form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), as well as certain other nervous system diseases (one big bug catching yawn doesn't qualify :D).

:eek: is that bad? that sounds bad to me

For my mom it was because she has a bicuspid valve rather than a tricuspid valve as the result of a congenital defect. Basically the bicuspid works but allows some of the blood to flow backwards hence she yawns.

Hey Doctor Mazama, this person is copying you : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070717132256AAtTf5m

But they're doing it in a very sneaky way by writing it 7 months ago :)


Damn them! I should have copyrighted my material :mad:

Do you remember plagiarizing from English class? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076713/ :rolleyes: :p


Do you remember comprehension from Reading class?

Sorry bro, I wasn't the one who posted the explanation :p

Do you remember comprehension from Reading class?

Sorry bro, I wasn't the one who posted the explanation :p

Ha! Yes my bad. :o

How many people yawned while reading this. I did.

well my commute home on Friday was in about 2C, so my brain wasn't too hot.
I only yawned once too (normally it's 2 or 3 times) so maybe my yawning is because of brain heat. I do have a pretty big brain so it's understandable that it generates lot's of heat.

How many people yawned while reading this. I did.

I'll let you know when I wake up!:D