pulse O2 meter finally came in

[growingupninja]

I finally got a pulse O2 meter for training. It has a pulse graph which I didn't realize would be useful for tracking vasoconstriction as well since it is a fingertip pulse meter.

Results after one set of dry dynamic exhale tables (full but not 'forced' exhale, very low intensity pedaling, HR at about 75 bpm where my normal resting is around 60 bpm):
- vasoconstriction starts when my O2 sat gets to around 81%, which is incidentally about when I began to experience contractions. By the time I am at around 60% O2 the pulse graph on the meter is nearly flat (as am I... legs and lips entirely numb, etc).
- pulse drops 5-10% immediately when I start the breath hold, then again 5-10% as contractions start. I suspect the initial drop may simply be since I am not spending any energy on breathing and have plenty of O2 in the blood at that point.
- when I begin to breathe again vasoconstriction stops within seconds but O2 sat doesn't climb (in my fingertip at least) for another 20 seconds, at which point it climbs quickly and is normal within about 35 seconds from when I started breathing again. Pulse jumps when I start to breathe again to around 75-85 bpm.

Next time I will do some full lung to see what difference CO2 makes...

 

[Mullins]

You'll probably get a pretty high HR if you inhale. It takes mine a good couple of minutes to return to resting if I'm doing a static. Even in CWT it only reached 60bpm by about 80m.

 

[growingupninja]

You'll probably get a pretty high HR if you inhale. It takes mine a good couple of minutes to return to resting if I'm doing a static. Even in CWT it only reached 60bpm by about 80m.

Thanks, good to know. I just did a set of CO2 tables with it, same parameters (pedaling dry, 75 bpm intensity). My HR after the first few reps stayed relatively high (80 to 100) but it did drop to around 70 towards the end of the final holds which were 100 secs. My O2 never dropped below about 92% and from the graph it looked like maybe I was getting a little bit of vasoconstriction.

Part of the reason I got the meter was to try and identify different sensations; for me there is the feeling of low O2, vasoconstriction, high lactic build-up, high CO2. The last is a no brainer but the difference between vasoconstriction and low O2 is more subtle for me. Vasoconstriction seems to always accompany low O2, dry or wet, but I am realizing that I sometimes experience strong vasoconstriction without necessarily low O2, especially spearing out here since our water is cold enough to induce a dive response in me just by facial immersion, or when doing exhale pool swims.

I will do some tests tomorrow in the pool. My O2 sat results during the CO2 set would indicate I would be safe to push my full lung dynamic sets harder.