Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Diving response and apneic time in humans

Schagatay, E and Andersson, Johan LU orcid (1998) In Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine 25(1). p.9-13
Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare apneic time with the human diving response, defined as heart rate (HR) reduction and reduced skin blood flow, in groups with varying degrees of breath-hold diving experience. Apneic time and HR reduction at apneas in air and apneas with face immersion in cold water were thus recorded in nine groups. Skin capillary blood flow was recorded in six of the groups. All subjects received the same information on maximizing apneic duration, and no information about their progress during the apneas. The longest apneas and the most pronounced cardiovascular adjustments were found in the young, trained divers. It was found that apneic time was significantly correlated to HR reduction among the nine groups (r =... (More)

The aim of this study was to compare apneic time with the human diving response, defined as heart rate (HR) reduction and reduced skin blood flow, in groups with varying degrees of breath-hold diving experience. Apneic time and HR reduction at apneas in air and apneas with face immersion in cold water were thus recorded in nine groups. Skin capillary blood flow was recorded in six of the groups. All subjects received the same information on maximizing apneic duration, and no information about their progress during the apneas. The longest apneas and the most pronounced cardiovascular adjustments were found in the young, trained divers. It was found that apneic time was significantly correlated to HR reduction among the nine groups (r = 0.94, P < 0.001), and to skin capillary blood flow reduction among the six groups where the parameter was measured (r = 0.82, P < 0.05). The correlation between HR reduction and skin capillary blood flow reduction was also significant (r = 0.85, P < 0.05). When the difference in HR reduction and apneic time between apneas in air and apneas with face immersion were compared in the nine groups, it was found that all groups reacted with a more pronounced HR reduction during apneas with face immersion. All groups without prior breath-hold diving experience were found to perform shorter apneas with face immersion than apneas in air, or apneas of the same duration in both conditions, which has been reported in other studies. However, in all groups with diving experience, the apneic time was prolonged during apneas with face immersion. The results of this study suggest an oxygen-conserving effect of the diving response in trained apneic divers.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult, Apnea/physiopathology, Diving/physiology, Female, Heart Rate/physiology, Humans, Immersion/physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Regional Blood Flow, Skin/blood supply, Time Factors, Vasoconstriction
in
Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine
volume
25
issue
1
pages
9 - 13
publisher
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:0032020248
  • pmid:9566082
ISSN
1066-2936
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
98a30724-3c43-4fd8-b2c7-a2347cbfcab5
date added to LUP
2022-11-17 20:58:13
date last changed
2024-05-31 20:05:55
@article{98a30724-3c43-4fd8-b2c7-a2347cbfcab5,
  abstract     = {{<p>The aim of this study was to compare apneic time with the human diving response, defined as heart rate (HR) reduction and reduced skin blood flow, in groups with varying degrees of breath-hold diving experience. Apneic time and HR reduction at apneas in air and apneas with face immersion in cold water were thus recorded in nine groups. Skin capillary blood flow was recorded in six of the groups. All subjects received the same information on maximizing apneic duration, and no information about their progress during the apneas. The longest apneas and the most pronounced cardiovascular adjustments were found in the young, trained divers. It was found that apneic time was significantly correlated to HR reduction among the nine groups (r = 0.94, P &lt; 0.001), and to skin capillary blood flow reduction among the six groups where the parameter was measured (r = 0.82, P &lt; 0.05). The correlation between HR reduction and skin capillary blood flow reduction was also significant (r = 0.85, P &lt; 0.05). When the difference in HR reduction and apneic time between apneas in air and apneas with face immersion were compared in the nine groups, it was found that all groups reacted with a more pronounced HR reduction during apneas with face immersion. All groups without prior breath-hold diving experience were found to perform shorter apneas with face immersion than apneas in air, or apneas of the same duration in both conditions, which has been reported in other studies. However, in all groups with diving experience, the apneic time was prolonged during apneas with face immersion. The results of this study suggest an oxygen-conserving effect of the diving response in trained apneic divers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schagatay, E and Andersson, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1066-2936}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Apnea/physiopathology; Diving/physiology; Female; Heart Rate/physiology; Humans; Immersion/physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Regional Blood Flow; Skin/blood supply; Time Factors; Vasoconstriction}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{9--13}},
  publisher    = {{Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society}},
  series       = {{Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine}},
  title        = {{Diving response and apneic time in humans}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}