Haematology

Question 1

What are the functions of blood?

Answer 1

Transport of gases, waste products, hormones, blood cells etc.
Maintains body temp
Controls pH 
Removes toxins 
Regulates blood clotting
Regulates body fluid electrolytes

Question 2

What are the constituents of blood?

Answer 2

Plasma ~ 55%
Erythrocytes (RBCs) ~ 45%
Leukocytes (WBCs)
Thrombocytes (platelets)

Question 3

What different types of blood collection are there and when are they used?

Answer 3

Capillary blood collection - when only few drops required - ear lobe, finger prick
Venous blood collection - when large amount of blood needed - median cubical veins, cephalon veins

Question 4

Define Haematocrit

Answer 4

The % of total blood volume occupied by erythrocytes

Question 5

What is the average normal haematocrit for a male and female?

Answer 5

Female - 42%

Male - 45%

Question 6

What is the normal Hb range for male and females?

Answer 6

Male - 14-16 g.100ml-1

Female - 13-15 g.100ml-1

Question 7

Define Anaemia

Answer 7

When you don’t have enough RBCs or Hb to meet your body’s need, so it impedes O2 delivery

Question 8

Define Polycythemia

Answer 8

Having a high conc of RBCs in your blood, so you have higher blood viscosity and so high blood pressure

Question 9

What is total Hb mass? And what is it a key determinant of?

Answer 9

The absolute mass of circulating Hb in the body.

It is a key determinant of max O2 uptake

Question 10

How can VO2 max be increased?

Answer 10

Balanced increase in tHb mass and plasma volume which results in increased cardiac output. This is achieved through endurance training.

Increase in Hb conc via a increase in tHb mass and reduced or unchanged plasma volume. Achieved by altitude training or blood doping.

Question 11

What is hypervolemia? And why does it occur in exercise training?

Answer 11

A net expansion of total body water and solutes - so you have a greater % of plasma in blood.
It occurs due to increased water intake and decreased urine output while exercising.

Question 12

Why could hypervolemia be advantageous?

Answer 12

There is greater body fluid for heat dissipation and thermoregulatory stability.
Larger vascular volume and filling pressure for greater cardiac stroke volume and so lower HR during exercise.

Question 13

How would you calculate change in blood volume (post)?

Answer 13

(Hb pre x BV pre) / Hb post

Assume BV pre is 100ml

Question 14

How would you calculate change in cell volume (post)?

Answer 14

BV post x Hct post

In mL

Question 15

How would you calculate % change in plasma volume?

Answer 15

((PV post - PV pre) / PV pre) x 100

Question 16

How do you calculate sweat rate?

Answer 16

((Pre body mass x post body mass) + fluid intake) / hours exercised
If urinated during exercise assume fluid loss of ~ 0.3L and subtract

Question 17

What affects Hb’s ability to bind to O2?

Answer 17

PO2 and number of free O2 binding sites

Question 18

How is the increasing demand for O2 met during exercise?

Answer 18

Muscle blood flow is increased and O2 unloading is improved

Question 19

Why does the oxygen dissociation curve shift to the right during exercise?

Answer 19

Exercising muscle cells release H+, CO2 and lactate into capillaries and the temp increases. The blood entering these exercising muscle capillaries is exposed to this which causes a decrease in Hb-O2 affinity.

Question 20

What is pulse oximetry?

And what’s the normal level?

Answer 20

A method of measuring your O2 saturation or O2 levels in arterial blood. Normal levels 94-99%

Question 21

What is near infrared spectroscopy? And what’s the normal level?

Answer 21

A technique to measure tissue O2 saturation.

~ 60-70% in skeletal muscle

Question 22

How is lactate formed?

Answer 22

In anaerobic conditions, pyruvate is converted to lactic acid. This dissociates quickly to release H+ ions and lactate.

Question 23

Why might you measure blood lactate?

Answer 23

To help monitor/modify training as lactate threshold is a good predictor of performance.
It’s a good indicator of training adaptations - the higher the lactate threshold the better.
Correlates with endurance performance.
Helps identify optimal training status.

Question 24

Why might you take a neutrophil and white blood cell count?

Answer 24

Neutrophils and WBCs are markers of infection.
An increased neutrophil count indicates a bacterial infection, an increased lymphocyte count indicates a viral infection.

Question 25

How might you measure muscle damage using the blood markers?

Answer 25

Following endurance training there is an increase in plasma CK activity and plasma LDH activity. These protein levels can be analysed via ELISA test.

Question 26

What inflammatory marker could you measure post exercise from the blood?

Answer 26

IL-6