Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

>...Additionally, a given workload (swimming speed and task) for the ultra-fit 
>diver, mirrored by the sedentary diver, will cause far more stress in the 
>sedentary diver, even in CO2 outpuut ranges which are not abnormally 
>high----anecdotal evidence would suggest that the more relaxed and calm we 
>are, the less effect of O2 Tox... 


Absolutely! At the cellular level we have much going on as well. As not 
only the CO2 builds up, the lactate levels are going up as well. Now as 
the athlete/diver is going acidotic on you (at least in his muscle bed), 
the biochemistry of membrane transport gets altered which effects the 
rates of transport out of the cell into the blood stream and ultimately 
to the lungs and out.

 Part of this transport mechanism (depending on the substance in 
question) is a chemically active transport (the substance you're trying 
to get rid of is literally being pumped out of the cell at the molecular 
level) some others are diffusing out by the typical osmotic solubilty 
kinetics based on concentrations across the membrane. (BS alert on: this 
might play a part in why certain drugs act weird at depth...you've got 
certain gases now saturating the blood and intracellular fluid 
compartments possibly altering these diffusion kinetics across the 
membrane. This last part is pure speculation on my part...BS alert off) 

We know the elite athlete has built up a rich network of vascular 
collaterals compared to the non-athlete. Thus in a diving situation he 
*may* be compensating for altered diffusion kinetics by shear increase in 
available vascular surface area. Again, this last conclusion is 
speculation on my part. We also know that elite athletes with those rich 
collaterals have A-V shunting available to a degree the rest of us 
walking around slobs don't.

Bottom line regardless: It's better to be in shape when diving than not. 
The exact reasons can be left to the physiologists to battle over! 
Excercise is good for you...But I don't think anyone was arguing that 
point.

Take care

Robb W  

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]