Exercise at altitude and underwater

Oxygen pressure at altitude, acclimatisation, training strategies; pressure underwater, Boyle's law and decompression.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Altitude hypoxia: what is it?
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Barometric pressure falls with altitude, and oxygen pressure with it.
The share of O2 in air stays 21 %.
A lowland runner races 5,000 m at 2,000 m altitude. Their performance…
- Drops, as VO2max falls at altitude
- Rises thanks to thinner air
- Does not change
- Rises thanks to instant EPO
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Drops, as VO2max falls at altitude
Less oxygen, less aerobic power.
Altitude acclimatisation: what is it?
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Immediate hyperventilation, then EPO and red-cell production over weeks.
It improves oxygen transport.
Why must a scuba diver never ascend holding breath taken at depth?
- Nitrogen freezes
- Air expands on ascent and can tear the lungs
- Pressure rises on ascent
- The heart stops
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Air expands on ascent and can tear the lungs
Boyle's law: pressure falls, volume rises.