Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

> The only benefit of higher O2 as I can see it is better perfusion of
> tissues with O2.  When would this come into play???  Let's also assume
> that tissue damage is not occuring (higher O2 perfusion would most
> likely aid in tissue regeneration/healing/etc).  

Well, you see...that's just it.  Two of the plausible explanations I've 
heard for the cause of the tiredness have to do with damaged tissue. One 
idea is that the damage comes from bubbles; the other is that it comes 
from rigid RBCs.  But both suggest that the tiredness is a secondary 
result of enzymatic action to repair damaged tissue.

When I used to do deep air dives, and decompress on air, I would get
unusually tired after a 45-60 minute dive (including deco); when I started
doing even deeper trimix dives lasting 90-120 minutes (but comparable
levels of decompression conservatism), with ENAx and O2 for decompression,
I never got nearly as tired.  So the question is whether it is the
increased O2 exposure or reduced N2 exposure on the mixed gas dives that
rectifies the tiredness.  I haven't done any deep air dives with EANx and
O2 decompression (what would be the point?), so I can't compare.  I
suspect I would be less tired than a comparable air-only dive (even
adjusting for decompression times) - but even so, would it be because the
increased O2 or the decreased N2? 

Based on the little I know about diving physiology (and a lot that I 
*think* I know about diving physiology), my guess is it's the reduced N2, 
not the increased O2, that reduces the tiredness.

Aloha,
Rich

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]