Hypoxia - harm or benefit?
The body's resistance to a lack of oxygen - one of the adaptation factors - is determined by genetic and phenotypic properties( hereditary and acquired in the process of life).
Scientists have determined that a short-term hypoxic effect within certain limits can increase the body's resistance to stress, activate the vital functions of the body.
It is known that mountain inhabitants belong to long-lived groups, and the middle mountains and highlands are distinguished by a reduced oxygen content in the air. Therefore, periodic trips of people living in the plains to the mountains contribute to an increase in working capacity, an increase in life expectancy, the preservation of active activity until old age.
In conditions of moderate hypoxia, the resistance of the organism to various pathogenic factors is improved, stress resistance is increased.
With hypoxia, brain cells are excited, breathing is activated, the number of red blood cells and oxygen in the blood increases, the minute volume of blood circulation is improved.
However, trips to the mountains require significant material costs, and scientists began to conduct experiments in the pressure chamber.
Studies have determined that the greatest effect is produced by short-term hypoxic loads. So the programs of "step" and "interval" rise in the pressure chamber were developed.
With a "stepped" rise after reaching a certain height, rest is done, i.e. staying at this altitude for 5-15 minutes, and then again lifting to the next height.
At "interval", there is an alternation of ascent to a certain height and descent to a lower one, then again lifting. Adjusts the residence time at each height.
Rises and descents during one session produce a good training effect and significantly affect the increase in hypoxic stability.
Under stress, adrenaline is released into the bloodstream, which widens the blood vessels of the heart, brain and lungs, but the skin vessels contract( the person pales), the heart rate increases and blood pressure rises.
Arterial pressure increases the ability of the heart to absorb oxygen. However, people who are not trained enough, are prone to excessive reactivity with negative emotions, this protective measure can become dangerous and even cause heart failure up to myocardial infarction.
When excessive reaction to stress, a large amount of the hormone cortisol is released, the ability to quickly absorb newly formed sugar decreases, and even the occurrence of temporary diabetes mellitus. It is known, for example, that on the stock exchange, when some shares fall, some people sometimes have "stock market diabetics".
Therefore, excessively high reactivity of the body and low hypoxic stability under stress are the causes of serious changes in the body.
All this became the basis for an in-depth study of human reactions to hypoxia and hypercapnia ( increase in carbon dioxide - CO2 in arterial blood).
Well-known physiologists VA Ilyukhin and IB Zabolotskikh found that different physiological systems of the body differently exhibit hypoxic stability, which is a characteristic of adaptive possibilities.
The difference in adaptive capacity is observed in persons with different abilities to quickly mobilize their neuromuscular system to relax. This was established by Yu. V. Vysochin in his studies conducted for many years.
Another interesting fact has been established: people with a low rate of voluntary muscle relaxation are least resistant to hypoxia.
The scientist identified 3 types of people:
• relaxants - capable of rapid voluntary muscle relaxation, quick activation of their "brake", which reduces excessive excitement( hypoxic, thermal, emotional, extreme environmental and physical exertion);
• hypertraffic - having a powerful muscular system, but unable to quickly relax it;
• mixed( transient) type - having average values.
Therefore, hypoxic resistance and the ability to fast relaxation are interrelated.
In the studies of Yu. V. Vysochina, it was shown that hypoxic resistance requires special attention of trainers, doctors, and people suffering from a number of diseases. The increase in hypoxic stability and speed of voluntary muscle relaxation contribute to an increase in the adaptive capacity of the body.
The human muscles are called "the second heart", and this is true, for, as the well-known scientist RP Narcissov has shown in his studies, arbitrary muscles and myocardium act as a defense system in many diseases.
The first acts on the defense of the neuromuscular system, with the disease, metabolic processes in the muscles are activated both at the onset of the disease( temperature rises) and at the end( the temperature decreases).
Yu. V. Vysochin has proved that there is a brake relaxation functional protection system( TRFSF), which plays an essential role in providing adaptation processes, normalizing the balance of the nervous processes of the body.
In other words, when TRFSN is turned on, the protective function is performed by normalizing the balance of the nervous processes and increasing the rate of voluntary relaxation of the muscles.
The increase in hypoxic resistance is interrelated with these processes and is more pronounced in relaxants.
In people, hypertrophic type , low activity of TRFFS, increased muscle mass, increased excitability, low efficiency of heart activity. In addition, found that these people have low stress and hypoxic resistance, a great opportunity to get injuries and diseases.
The scientist believes that increased resistance can be provided with a targeted effect on the formation of a rational type - relaxant.
Increased hypoxic stability and speed of voluntary muscle relaxation allows a person to increase the capabilities of his defense system.
Probability of overvoltage of the musculoskeletal system in of relaxants is significantly less compared to hypertrophies.
Relaxation options are enhanced with:
• hypoxic training using a series of short-term breath hold( 1/2 of the possible maximum delay);
• use of departures in the middle reaches( height 1500-2500 m above sea level);
• use of pressure chamber preparation( with elevation difference from 1500 to 4000 m);
• use of thermal effects( sauna, sauna: short stay for 8-10 minutes and breaks in the cool temperature of the pool);
• use of meditative or autogenic training;
• special relaxation exercises.
People with low hypoxic resistance require special attention during childbirth and surgery.
Studies have shown that people with low resistance to hypoxia are also characterized by low resistance to physiological stress.
It is known that the adverse effect on human health is inherent in both physical and emotional stress. For example, noise, itself not associated with any danger to humans, can cause not only anxiety, but also digestive disorders, inhibiting the activity of the stomach and causing neuroses.
Stress in long-term exposure may change into chronic.
Symptoms of emotional chronic stress include:
• mood swings;
• increased anxiety;
• irritability;
• fatigue and distraction.
Behavioral manifestations of chronic stress are expressed:
• in sleep disorders;
• loss of appetite, and sometimes overeating;
• reduced efficiency and other negative aspects.
From the level of hypoxic stability depends and resistance to various stresses. Therefore, knowing your hypoxic stability, you can take timely measures to increase it. There are samples from which you can determine this yourself.