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Int J Sports Med 2003; 24(2): 104-107
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-38401
Physiology & Biochemistry
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Arterial Blood Gases During Diving in Elite Apnea Divers

C.  M.  Muth1 , P.  Radermacher1 , A.  Pittner1 , J.  Steinacker2 , R.  Schabana3 , S.  Hamich3 , K.  Paulat3 , E.  Calzia1
  • 1Division of Pathophysiology and Process Development in Anaesthesia, Department of Anaesthesiology, University Medical School, Ulm, Germany
  • 2Section of Sports- and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine II, University Medical School, Ulm, Germany
  • 3University of Applied Sciences · Department of Medical Cybernetics · Ulm · Germany
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Publication History



Accepted after revision: July 30, 2002

Publication Date:
01 April 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Elite apnea divers have considerably extended the limits of dive depth and duration but the mechanisms allowing humans to tolerate the compression- and decompression-induced changes in alveolar gas partial pressures are still not fully understood. Therefore we measured arterial blood gas tensions and acid-base-status in two elite apnea divers during simulated wet dives lasting 3 : 55 and 5 : 05 minutes, respectively. Arterial pO2 followed the compression- (from 13.8/16.9 kPa before the dive to 30 kPa at the start of the bottom time) and decompression-induced (from 13.7/21.0 kPa to 3.3/4.9 kPa immediately after surfacing) variations of ambient pressure, while the arterial pCO2 remained within the physiologic range (3.0/3.9 kPa before diving vs. 5.7/5.9 kPa at the end of the bottom time), probably due to the CO2 storage capacity of the blood. These findings may help to explain why humans can sustain deep and long apnea dives without major increases in respiratory drive.

Key words

Buccal pumping - alveolar gas exchange - breath-holding

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CM Muth, MD

Division of Pathophysiology and Process Development in Anaesthesia · Department of Anaesthesiology · University Medical School · Ulm · Germany

Parkstr. 11 · 89073 Ulm · Germany

Phone: +49-731-50025140

Fax: 49-731-50025143

Email: claus-martin.muth@medizin.uni-ulm.de