Integrative Physiology Flashcards
Compare definitions of hypoxic and hypobaric
hypoxic/hypoxia
- condition in which body tissues are deprived of oxygen
- physiological
hypobaric
- condition of less than normal atmospheric pressure
- physical
hypobaric hypoxia
- condition of low atmospheric pressure = low oxygen supply
- change atmospheric pressure
normobaric hypoxia
- condition of low oxygen concentration in air = low oxygen supply
- change [O2]
Oxygen pressure
Pgas = Tp x [gas]
- Pgas = partial pressure of individual gas
- Tp = total barometric pressure
- [gas] = concentration of individual gas
PaO2 = (FiO2 x (Patm - Ph2o)) x (PaCO2/RespQ)
- PaO2 = partial pressure of alveolar oxygen
- FiO2 = fraction of inspired oxygen, 0.21 in room air
- Patm = 760mmHg at sea level
- Ph2o = H20 vapour pressure in alveolus, usually 47mmHG at 37*C
- PaCO2 from ABG
- RespQ = respiratory quotient, usually 0.8
Oxygen pressure and saturation
- diffusion gradient between tissues acts as a driving force fo O2 delivery to the muscle
- decrease in driving force as altitude increases
- fall in PO2 reduces driving pressure for gas exchange in lungs
- produces a cascade of effects down to mitochondria
Impact of altitude on health
0-500m - sea level/near sea-level
500-2000m low altitude
- minor impairments in aerobic performance
2000-3000m moderate altitude
- AMS starts to occur and acclimatisation becomes important for performance
3000-5500m high altitude
- AMS, HAPE, and acclimatisation become clinically relevant and performance is considerably impaired
> 5500m extreme altitude
- prolonged exposure leads to progressive deterioration and potentially to HACE
AMS: acute mountain sickness - breathlessness, headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness
HAPE: high-altitude pulmonary edema - fluid released in pulmonary cavity, coughing, wheezing, general weakness
HACE: high-altitude cerebral edema - brain swells due to fluid accumulation, confusion, fatigue, coma, paralysis
AMS treatment
- go no higher until symptoms resolve, if not resolved, descend (500m descent can improve symptoms)
pharmacological measures
- ibuprofen/paracetamol (headache, pain, fever)
- diamox (acetazolamide) (hastens acclimatisation, helps prevent high altitude disorders, inhibits carbonic anhydrase enzyme that counteracts respiratory alkalosis during ascent, facilitates excretion of bicarbonate in urine)
Performance
world records:
- 100, 200 and 400 (men), 100 and 200m (women)
- triple jump, top 6 jumpers beat previous WR
- long jump bob beamon 8.9m
- reduced air density
distance events
- only events without world/olympic record (marathon, walk, steeplechase)
- reduced O2 availability
Oxygen cascade
ambient air
- breath in air with O2
lungs
- transfer of O2 from pulmonary alveoli to blood
haemoglobin
- carriage of O2 in the blood
cardiac output
- pumping of blood by the heart
muscle blood flow
- distribution of oxygenated blood to working muscle
oxygen extraction
- extraction of O2 by working muscle
cellular metabolism
- utlisation of O2 by working muscle
max performance
- acute altitude exposure affects all facets of oxygen cascade
- increased relative exercise intensity for a given absolute workload
- delayed recovery between high-intensity intervals
- moderate altitude AMS symptoms that contribute to increase RPE
acute acclimatisation
inc sympathetic activity leads to inc heart rate
inc Ve to dec PaCO2
inc PaO2 and pH
plasma vol dec
inc Hb conc
inc RBC production due to inc EPO
altitude acclimatisation
dec HRmax of 1bpm per 100m>3000m due to inc vagal tone (parasympathetic activity) and downregulation of B receptors
dec SV possibly due to lower plasma and blood volume
fick equation
Q = HR x SV
VO2max = Q x a-vO2diff
what to do
- athletes who must perform at altitude should do so within 24h of arrival while the detrimental changes that occur have not become too great
- notion of a ‘physiological window’ for exercising immediately after arrival at altitude unsupported
- longer acclimatisation more beneficial than ‘fly in, fly out’
high altitude natives
tibetans
- incidence of CMS 1%
- 4000m+
- decreased hgb conc in blood, lower arterial oxygen saturation, compensate with a higher breathing rate and larger lung volume
- higher Ve and normal Hgb (move more O2 via lungs
- higher capillary density (improves perfusion and O2 delivery due to shorter diffusion distance)
andeans
- incidence of CMS up to 18%
- 4000m+
- increased hgb conc and better arterial oxygen saturation
ethopian highlanders
- incidence of CMS 0%
- 2500m-4100m
- living at higher altitudes, show no difference in hgb conc and arterial oxygen saturation compared with people living at sea level
CMS: chronic mountain sickness
Core temp
- usually between 36-37.5*C in thermoneutral conditions
- large range of interindividual variability
- defended by various thermoregluatory process to maintain this tight range irrespective of environments
- increases and decreases for various reasons
Skin temp
- between 34-35*C in thermoneutral conditions
- rises and falls much easier than core temperature and dependent on environment
- responsible for perceptions of hot/cold especially when at rest
Heat balance
body constantly strives to maintain heat balance
heat production
- basal metabolic rate
- muscle activity
-hormone and neurotransmitter stimulation
- thermogenic effect of food (digestion, absorption, storage)
heat loss
- how rapidly heat can be conducted from body core to skin surface
- how rapidly heat can be transferred from skin to environment