Abstract
Purpose
To showcase results of arterial blood gases’ analysis in elite breath-hold divers sampled at depths where their total lung capacities are below their residual lung volume on surface.
Methods
Three male elite breath-hold divers performed body plethysmographies to determine their lung volumes. Two dives were performed, one on normal inhalation to 60 m of depth and the second on complete exhalation to 10 m of depth. Blood samples were taken on five occasions; before the first dive, at 60 and 10 m of depth and immediately after resurfacing after both dives.
Results
Arterial blood gases’ analysis at 60 m of depth showed an increase in partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, a consequent decrease in pH and an increase in concentration of HCO3−. After resurfacing, in two divers, values mostly returned to normal; hypoxemia was observed in one diver. At 10 m of depth, all values showed similar variation, and hypoxemia was observed in the same diver but at depth. Upon resurfacing, all values returned to normal.
Conclusion
This is the first study performed at depths where the total lung capacities of participants are below their residual lung volumes at the surface. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide increases at depth to higher than normal values causing pH to decrease thus exceeding the buffering potential of the blood. In addition, previous assumptions that maximum depth in breath-hold divers is where total lung capacity is reduced to their residual volume proved wrong as our group of divers had no symptoms after resurfacing.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study (Arterial blood gases’ analysis in elite breath-hold divers at extreme depths by Barković et al.) are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- AIDA:
-
Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée
- ABGs:
-
Arterial blood gases
- atm:
-
Standard atmospheric pressure
- BHD:
-
Breath-hold diver
- cHCO3 − :
-
Bicarbonate concentration in arterial blood
- CMAS:
-
Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
- GI:
-
Glossopharyngeal insufflation
- PaCO2 :
-
Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood
- PaO2 :
-
Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood
- pH:
-
Potential of hydrogen
- RV:
-
Residual volume
- SaO2 :
-
Arterial oxygen saturation
- TLC:
-
Total lung capacity
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation grant IP-2020-02-7928 to T.T.W.
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IB conceived and designed the experiment, conducted the experiment and wrote a part of the manuscript. ZJ conducted the experiment and wrote a part of the manuscript. FM analyzed the data, wrote a part of the manuscript and prepared the manuscript for submission. VM conducted the experiment and wrote a part of the manuscript. MP conducted the experiment. TTW conducted the experiment and revised the manuscript prior to submission. VP provided the necessary equipment and revised the manuscript prior to submission. All the authors read and approved the manuscript.
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The ethics committee of Thalassotherapia Opatija approved this research under number 01-000-00-384/2-2021. We conducted the research in accordance and agreement with the international Conference on Harmonization guidelines on Good Clinical Practice and with the Declaration of Helsinki.
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Communicated by Guido Ferretti.
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Barković, I., Jurilj, Z., Marinelli, F. et al. Arterial blood gases’ analysis in elite breath-hold divers at extreme depths. Eur J Appl Physiol 123, 857–865 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05110-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05110-2