Module 5 - Altitude Flashcards
High altitude training is defined as what?
Training at altitudes of 5,000 ft and above
What gasses make up the air around you?
More than 99% of air is made of three gases: nitrogen(79%), oxygen(21%), argon(.9%), and carbon dioxide(.3%).
What adaptions does your body undergo when in higher elevations to counter the decreased ability to transport oxygen efficiently?
Your body tries to artificially boost the density of your red blood cells through a process known as haemoconcentration. This temporarily boosts your hematocrit to transport oxygen more effectively until your body can produce more red blood cells to help.
What is ph in the blood?
Ph is the concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood
What is blood plasma made up of?
Water, protein, solutes
What is blood made up of?
Plasma, Buffy coat, & erythrocytes
What is haemoconcentration?
An increase in the concentration of cellular elements in the blood, resulting from loss of plasma
What does hemoconcentration do at high altitudes?
Temporarily boosts your hematocrit to transport oxygen more effectively until your body can produce more red blood cells to help. This process, however, decreases your blood plasma volume by 10-25%.
What is the role of blood plasma?
Plasma carries water, salts, and enzymes. The main role of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it.
What is hematocrit
The ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood.
What is hypoxic ventilatory response?
it is the increase in breathing that occurs when you’re not getting enough oxygen.
What is hypoxia
Is a deficiency of oxygen in the body.
What causes hypoxia?
Any condition that reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood or restricts blood flow (oxygen-deficient environment, deficiency of red blood cells, or hemoglobin which transports oxygen.)
What is erythropoietin?
Is a hormone secreted (manufactured) by the kidneys that increases the rate of production of red blood cells in response to falling levels of oxygen in the tissues.
What is the process called where erythropoietin is produced naturally?
Erythropoiesis
What factors do you need to consider when coaching an athlete who wants to race at a high altitude?
At what elevation does the athlete live, at what elevation does the athlete train, at what elevation is their event, and does the athlete have the means to arrive at the event early?
What are the two primary types of altitude acclimation?
Hypobaric hypoxia exposure (normal altitude exposure) and normobaric hypoxia exposure (simulated altitude exposure)
How does training in heat simulate altitude?
Because of the body’s need to cool itself, blood is shunted away from the working muscles and toward the skin. This reduction in blood flow equates to less oxygen to the active muscles during exercise
What are ARD’s?
Airflow restriction Devices are masks that restrict/reduce the amount of air an individual can breathe in.
When do symptoms of altitude sickness start to occur?
Symptoms usually begin 12 – 48 hours of exposure and range from mild to severe.
What do the mild symptoms of altitude sickness look like?
Mild symptoms include - Dizziness, Fatigue and loss of energy, Shortness of breath, Loss of appetite, Sleep disturbance
What do the moderate symptoms of altitude sickness look like?
Moderate symptoms include - Worsening fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath, Difficulty with activity, Severe headache, nausea, and vomiting, Chest tightness
What do the severe symptoms of altitude sickness look like?
Severe symptoms include - Shortness of breath at rest
Inability to walk, Confusion, Fluid buildup in the lungs and/or brain.
What causes altitude sickness?
The cause of altitude sickness is primarily due to the change in air pressure, which reduces the oxygen exchange between the lungs and blood.
How can moderate symptoms of altitude sickness be treated?
Moderate symptoms can also be improved with medication or, if possible, going to a place that may be 1,000 to 2,000 ft lower elevation than where symptoms began.
How can severe symptoms of altitude sickness be treated?
In severe cases, immediately traveling below 4,000ft is recommended, along with a healthcare provider consultation.
What is the most effective way to prevent altitude sickness?
The most effective way to prevent altitude sickness is through acclimatization or a slow progressive exposure to increasing altitudes for increasing amounts of time.
Does oxygen pressure decrease or increase with high altitudes?
The partial pressure of oxygen decreases
What is hypoxic training?
Training occurs in an environment substantially depleted of oxygen (e.g., training at a high altitude).
What is the goal of hypoxic training?
To raise one’s hematocrit level, thereby increasing the amount of oxygen being delivered to working muscles.
What is the primary physiological effect of a decrease in oxygen hemoglobin saturation?
The body’s response to this decrease in hemoglobin is to increase the production of erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone secreted by the kidneys that stimulate red blood cell production.
