I donno... if you are short of breath and your heart is beating really fast, isn't that technically like increased cardiovascular activity which burns more calories? Though I'd also say it's a sign of poor health. The only time I remember breathing heavily just by standing up was when I had a lung infection and had to walk like 20 feet to the bathroom to give a piss sample. Doctor immediately hooked me up to a machine to monitor my breathing and I left the office with a prescription. No wonder so many obese people die when they get a cold.