2. Question
A healthy person, male, aged 20-30 years old want to
climb Mount Everest. Describe the changes in his
circulatory and respiratory system when:a) he is climbing the mountain
b) if he were to suffer from hypoxia or high altitude
sickness. What are the symptoms and what are
the possible treatment?
c) bonus: would it make any difference if the climber
is a female?
3. a) Effect on Circulatory System
Increase heart rate
- cardio exercises require more blood flow
- during strenuous exercise, heart will be forced to
pump blood faster
- heart will pump 80-85% of maximum heart rate
which exceeds the normal heart rate which is
50-70%.
- increase in heart rate is also mediated by vagal inhibition
and is sustained by autonomic sympathetic responses and
carbon dioxide acting on the medulla
4. a) Effect on Circulatory System
Increase stroke volume
- stroke volume will increase to 90% of their
maximum values of during strenuous exercise
Increase blood flow to heart
- blood flow to exercising muscles from about
1L/min at rest to over 20L/min
5. a) Effect on Circulatory System
Causes heart enlargement
- the more blood that is pumped the greater the
amount of oxygen that gets to the muscles for use
- will return to normal once the activity is stopped
Increase cardiac output
- the cardiac output is increased by both a rise in the
heart rate and the stroke volume attributable to a
more complete emptying of a heart by a forcible
systolic contraction
6. a) Effect on Respiratory System
Increase oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide
formation
- may increase 20 folds but alveolar ventilation
increases almost exactly in step with the increased
levels of metabolism
- therefore the arterial PO2, PCO2 and PH all
remain almost exactly normal
7. a) Effect on Respiratory System
Expiratory flow limitation
- can lead to an inability to increase alveolar
ventilation (V (A)) in the face of increasing
metabolic demands
- resulting in gas exchange impairment and
diminished endurance exercise performance
Exercise-induced diaphragmatic fatigue
- a mechanism which increases sympathetic
vasoconstrictor outflow and reduces limb blood
flow during prolonged exercise
8. b) The Symptoms of Hypoxia and The Possible
Treatment
Hypoxia – a condition in which a body or a region of
the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply
Symptoms:
•Headaches
•Fatigue or tiredness
•Nausea and vomiting
•Breathlessness of shortness of breath
•Skin and nail beds may turn bluish, a condition called cyanosis
•Disorientation and uncoordinated movement
•Confusion, memory loss and cognitive problems
•Heart rate may quickly fall by a significant degree
•Euphoria or sensation of dissociation from self
•Blood pressure increase in initial phase and decrease as the condition
progress
9. b) The Symptoms of Hypoxia and The Possible
Treatment
Possible treatment:
•Giving the patient a large amount of oxygen supply through
oxygen concentrators or tanks.
•Controlling the heart and rate and rhythm
•Give foods, blood products or medications to raise blood
pressure if it is low
• Mechanical ventilation
•Transfusions of packed red blood cells
•Increasing inspired oxygen
10. c) Bonus Question
Does it makes any difference if the climber is a
female?
- no, it does not make any difference
- all human being regardless of gender have the same
circulatory and respiratory system
- instead, the health of climbers are important to
control and response towards their circulatory and
respiratory during mountain climbing
