About hyperventilation

[Salehthefish]

I have doubt about one point in hyperventilation. It is mentioned that one of the disadvantage of hyperventilation is fast consumption of O2 due to O2 conservation mode of the body (Which will , on the other hand low CO2 will make the blood more alkaline and therefore hemoglobin bonding with O2 will be strong so the O2 will not be given easily to the tissues. So how can we explain both phenomena where i see they are opposite to each other (i.e in the first mode the body will use O2 in fast way while in the second the O2 will not be transferred to the tissues easily and therefore as i see it will be conserved)

 

[cdavis]

I'll take a laymans shot at that.

The body has two separate sets of sensors for gas levels, c02 and 02. The co2 ones come on sooner and are louder and more insistent than the 02 ones. When you do extreme HV, the body thinks it has plenty of 02 and burns it fast until 02 levels are very low and the 02 sensors start going off. That too late for our purposes. Further, you might not recognize the 02 sensor alarms. Further, further, low co2 levels make the 02 that is there less available to the tissues, so it might as well not be there, reducing safe dive time. Lessor levels of HV tend in the same direction. Further, low c02 affects vascular circulation in ways that are negative to long breathholds. You can see that by extreme HV that creates the tingles and vision problems. These are directly caused by low c02 constricting the carotid arteries, restricting blood flow and 02 to the brain.

If you don't HV, or do it only a little, the body starts the dive with a reasonable amt of co2, 02 conserving mechanisms( such as dive reflex) start early and the available 02 lasts longer, more of it is available to use, resulting in safer, longer dives, the early stages of which might be less comfortable than if you HV.

Connor

 

[trux]

Saleh, you are right that the reaction on the hyperventilation is higher affinity of oxygen to hemoglobin, but it does not necessarily mean that the organism consumes less oxygen. There is plenty of O2 in the hemoglobin in that moment (practically 100% saturation), and the blood flow is elevated (except of the cerebral flow that is in contrary diminished), which still permits the organism to consume the O2 despite the higher affinity of O2 to hemoglobin. It contrary, the high HV, due to this high affinity, leads to depleting of local stores of oxygen (especially myoglobin), before you even start the breath-hold, adding so to the other negative effects of the HV.

 

[Salehthefish]

Hey Connor and thanx for your reply.

What you have mentioned above are the affect of Hyperventilation, but maybe may explanation was not enough to show what i mean. in my case i took the two cases which is talking about hyperventilation:

1- When the CO2 level is low body will not conserve O2.
2- When CO2 level is low the blood will be Alkaline and therefore hemoglobin will not leave O2 easily.

If we compare the above two cases which are due to HV they are completely opposite to each others like how can we spend lots of O2 due to HV and the hemoglobin is keeping the O2 in blood?

Sorry if i am not clear

 

[Salehthefish]

Hey Trux and thnx for ur answer buddy. I read ur post after i posted back to Connor i think it makes logic bcoz i thought before that the alkaline will make all O2 strongly attached to hemoglobin which was not making sense for me. Thnx for ur input again...

Saleh