Exercise Physiology in Extreme Environments Essay

Exercise Physiology in Extreme Environments - Essay ExampleThe term hypoxia refers to a pathological condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply (Wikipedia, 2006a). Physiologists have long been astonished by the changes that occur with adaptation to overhead railway as the circulatory system attempts to compensate for the increased hypoxia by enhancing certain characteristics. Common reasoning asserts that if the characteristics of circulation at altitude are better than those of lowland, then sea-level performances should be enhanced among these athletes. For example, training at altitude, anywhere above 3000 meters, increases the bodys number of red blood cells, thus the bloods mental ability to carry oxygen is greater. It seems reasonable that this would enhance sea-level performance as the high altitude athletes body uses oxygen more in effect which enables that individual to run farther and faster (Sutton, 1994). However, these assumptions of high altitu de training are just that. Contradictory evidence suggests that high altitude training is non only ineffective, but the physiological events that occur in the body as a resolution can be harmful.Ascent to high altitude is tended to(p) by a progressive fall in barometric pressure and an accompanying fall in the partial pressure of oxygen. As low-level dwellers, we are optimally equipped for existence at normal air pressure of 760 mm of mercury, with an oxygen concentration of 21 percent. With increasing altitude, the concentration of oxygen system the same, but the atmospheric pressure decreases and with this the partial pressure of oxygen falls. This means that the number of oxygen molecules per breath is greatly reduced and this in turn reduces the summation of oxygen available to the blood and tissues in the body (Quinn, n.d.). The resulting decrease in arterial oxygen saturation (hypoxaemia) triggers a cascade of physiological disturbances that ultimately result in an