It is known that peripheral chemoreceptors, lung afferents and skeletal muscle afferents all contribute to the regulation of breathing during physical exertion. Moreover, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), another common cause of exertion-related dyspnoea, there is emerging evidence that the sensitivity of these sensory afferent populations is dysregulated leading to exaggerated respiratory and cardiovascular responses. However, despite such sensory afferent pathways representing a