Bergdahl- Chapter 24 and 25 Flashcards
what are the 4 stages of response to extreme exposition ?
1) acute reaction
2) exhaustion
3) adaptation
4) evolutionary adjustments
what is an acute emergency reaction like ?
maximal use of reserves, non-specific stress response
cannot be sustained permanently
what is exhaustion like ?
what happens when the exposure is too long or strong
eg Titanic sinking victims
what is adaptation like ?
selective strengthening of the most advantageous specific means of defense. however, it has limits
eg winter swimming, but even winter swimmers would not have survived the sinking of the Titanic
what are evolutionary adjustments ?
species/population change for many generations
eg Inuit are more resistant to cold
what elevations are considered high altitude ?
10 000 ft- 18 000 ft above sea level
what is altitude’s physiologic challenge ?
decreased ambient PO2
how does air density change with altitude ?
it decreases progressively as one ascends above sea level
what is acclimatization ?
adaptations produced by changes in the natural environment
what is acclimation ?
adaptations produced in a controlled laboratory environment which simulates high altitude
how does sport performance change in altitude (anaerobic and aerobic)?
when sports are anaerobic, the altitude doesn’t matter
however, for aerobic sports, makes a difference
how does the oxygen transport cascade differ at high altitudes ?
fig 24.2
begins lower and ends a bit lower
what are the two important immediate responses to altitude exposure ?
1) hyperventilation
2) increase in blood flow during rest and submax exercise
explain how the hyperventilation as an immediate response to altitude exposure comes about
reduced arterial PO2
peripheral chemoreceptors sensitive to reduced O2
therefore, inspiratory activity stimulates alveolar ventilation
what are the three immediate effects of high altitude ?
1) hyperventilation
2) increase in submax heart rate and cardiac output
3) catecholamine response
how does cardiovascular response immediately increase at high altitude ?
- increase in submaximal heart rate
- increase in submaximal cardiac output
- increase in submaximal blood flow
- SV and max CO don’t change
what is the catecholamine response that is immediate in high altitude ? :)
it will progressively increase for NE and stay the same for E during rest and exercise
(plateau, then upward slope, then plateau at new concentration)
describe the fluid loss in high altitudes
body water evaporates since ambient air is cool and dry
leads to moderate dehydration
what is the purpose of long term adjustments in high altitude ?
improve tolerance to relative hypoxia
what are the 3 main long term adjustments in high altitude ?
1) regulation of acid-base balance of body fluids altered by hyperventilation
2) synthesis of hemoglobin and RBC
3) elevated SNS activity reflected by increased NE that peaks within 1 week
what is the main action of ventilation ?
breathing out too much CO2
in high altitude, explain the process of hyperventilation and how it’ll change the blood pH
hypoxia, so induce hyperventilation. this will get rid of a lot of CO2.
therefore, there is not enough CO2 in the blood, which will shift the reaction to the left. bicarbonate (HCO3-) and H+ will become carbonic acid and become CO2. this causes a decrease in H+ concentration, meaning it causes alkalosis
what kind of pH condition will high altitude bring ?
alkalosis, pH increases
until an altitude of 3048m, does hemoglobin’s percentage saturation really change ?
nope
how does performance in anaerobic events change in high altitude ?
altitude does not impair short-term anaerobic energy system
rather, it may even improve because of the lower air density
as an immediate response to altitude exposure, what compensates for arterial desaturation ?
the increased submaximal flow
what is the most important long term adjustment to high altitude ?
increase in blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity
what are the two factors that account for the blood’s increased O2 carrying capacity as a long term adjustment ?
1) decrease in plasma volume (so increase in hematocrit)
2) increase in RBC and Hb synthesis
basically, larger O2 amount is going to tissues even though the O2 bound to Hb is lower than in normal conditions
what is polycythemia ?
increase in total amount of RBC (what happens in high altitude)
long-term, what happens to the HCO3- (bicarbonate) ?
it is excreted via the kidneys
what are the 6 different ways that the body adjusts long-term to better bring blood to the tissues ?
1) increased cardiac output- more oxygenated blood moved
2) increased RBC, so there is a higher oxygen carrying capacity
3) 2,3-DPG levels are higher
4) more capillarization
5) increased myoglobin, meaning there is more O2 locally available
6) increased urine output is a temporary way to concentrate blood
what is acute mountain sickness ?
relatively benign
probably due to hypoxia
what is a high altitude pulmonary edema ?
fluid accumulates in brain and lungs
reversible if you go to a lower altitude
what is a high altitude cerebral edema ?
potentially fatal
neurologic syndrome that can develop in those with acute mountain sickness
how much time does it take to adapt to altitudes up to 2300 m ?
2 weeks
how much time does it take to acclimatize to a 610 m altitude increase when we’re above 2300 m?
an additional week
to minimize detraining effects, when should athletes who compete at altitude begin training ?
immediately during acclimatization
after how much time do acclimatization adaptations dissipate after return to sea level ?
2-3 weeks
what is the relationship between decline of VO2 max and altitude ?
linear downward