Question

You are an athlete, but you prefer running, and frequently run 5-7 miles a day. You have been asked to house sit for a couple of months during the COVID 19 isolation, in a cabin up by Mt. Hood. Since your classes are all on-line and the Wi-Fi in this house is more than adequate, you decide on a change of scenery. The temperatures are much colder than in Portland, but you don’t mind and go out for your first run, 5 miles, immediately after a big breakfast. As you run you think about physiological changes that are occurring.

1. Will blood oxygen levels be affected by the increased elevation? How?

2. Will blood oxygen levels be affected by deep breathing in the cold? How?

3. How will your body thermoregulate? How will this affect your metabolic rate?

4. What will happen to your blood pressure during the run?

5. What hormones might be active and what do they do to digestion, muscle, urinary system?

6. What might happen to cardiac work, and why?

Answer 1

Answer 1

At high altitudes, the density of oxygen molecules in air is low. This can lead to hypoxia.

Answer 2

Slow deep breathing promotes ventilation efficiency for oxygen by increasing blood oxygenation.

Answer 3

The process of thermoregulation is directly associated with metabolism in the body. the various biochemical processes occurring in the body generate heat necessary for survival of the body.

Answer 4

During running, there is increased skeletal muscle activity which require more pumping of the blood. In order to pump more and more blood, the heart needs to increase the performance and this leads to increases cardiac output and elevated blood pressure.

Answer 5

Cortisol is activated during running ane exercise.It increases overall metabolism.

Answer 6

Cardiac output is increases due to exercise.