Altitude Flashcards
What happens to barometric pressure as altitude increases
Decreases
What happens to the % of oxygen in the atmosphere as altitude increases
Stays the same - 20.93%
What happens to partial pressure of oxygen in the air as altitude increases
Decreases
What happens to the typical temp as altitude increases
Decreases
What is altitude defined as
The height of an area above sea level
What is a high altitude usually considered as
1500m+ above sea level where pp of oxygen is lower
What is the impact of altitude on gas exchange
Gases move from area of high - low conc, and the greater the diffusion gradient the faster the gas exchange. Due to pp of oxygen decreasing at altitude, diffusion rate lowers, reducing gas exchange to capillary blood
What is the main impact of competing at altitude
Rate of oxygen diffusion decreases
What does the rate of oxygen diffusion at altitude decreasing lead to
Reduced haemoglobin saturation, oxygen transport capacity and aerobic energy production aswell as faster fatigue and OBLA
What do the effects of altitude lead to
Breathing frequency increases to maintain O2 consumption, blood volume decreases to increase red blood cell density, SV decreases which increases HR to maintain Q, maximal Q, SV and HR decrease - reduction in aerobic capacity and VO2 max
What happens to VO2 max every 1000m above 1500m above sea level
Drops by 8-11%
What does a decreased VO2 max at altitude lead to
Greater demand on aerobic system, therefore faster ATP/PC and glycogen usage, greater lactate production, faster fatigue/OBLA
What are the 3 main stages to altitude training
- Acclimatisation
- Training
- Recovery
What is acclimatization (stage 1) defined as
Adapting to a change in your environment, where pp of O2 is lower
