Does nitrox make you feel good?

[String]

A body doesnt "work" to off gas nitrogen as such - its not a metabolic process although there are some physiological changes.

 

[rockjock3]

My sister, a PhD from MIT, insisted that I need to get nitrox cert. I said that from what I've read, my style of diving will not benefit from nitrox.

She insisted that it makes her feel less tired, and it has more beneficial effect than just preventing DCS .... I don't question her opinion, but how many regular nitrox users feel the same.

Please don't reply to the survey if you don't use nitrox.

As there are no studies that could truly lay this down in black and white then I would either have your sister think about exactly what she is trying to say (she might be wording it wrong). Or maybe she is in possesion of some knowledge from her research that the rest of the dive community isn't.

As of this time there are no studies out there that aren't based on subjective measures. If somebody has some please hand me the link, I can't find them.

 

[rockjock3]

Maybe i wasnt clear, wasnt saying blind study was impossible but rather setting specific criteria for measuring the results, ie "feel good" isnt really easy to quantify scientifically.

I knew what you meant. I was just trying to clarify a little.

 

[String]

The only way i can even think of approaching it scientifically is be doing dives in a chamber (to ensure identical dive profiles) each one roughly 48 hours apart (to ensure no residual nitrogen), ensuring equal amounts of sleep between, equal hydration and many other things, as a blind study.

However you'd need to compare two things as well, a dive with nitrox vs same depth with air AND a a dive with nitrox and EAD as air.

Then psychometric tests used to measure fatigue and mental functions after them.

Even then i can see several glaring accuracy issues.

 

[johnny_bravo]

While there may be some credence to the placebo effect of diving on nitrox...I find that I can do a 3 tank dive charter with 32, 36 and 36 EAX mixes and drive home the 2.5 hour trip and I feel way more energized than when I do a 3 or 4 dive day on air.

Moreover, as some have mentioned in this thread already I used to get headaches after air dives and find I don't get them when diving nitrox. I also found that incorporating deep stops and extra slow ascents has made me feel better even when only diving air.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[jpcpat]

I can't quantify it scientifically, but I do feel less fatigue diving nitrox vs air. It's most pronounced on the deeper dives. I also use quite a bit less gas, again more pronounced on deeper dives.

A lot of the discussion is focused on the lack of an identifiable mechanism for "feeling better". If there is an effect, the mechanisim will be found after the effect is identified, not the other way around.

 

[mikerault]

I feel less tired after using Nitrox. I can't help but think back to the Navy when I was on submarines, when folks started dragging on the mid watches the Aux ganger would increase the O2 bleed into the engineering spaces. Alll I know is that it certainly perked us up to have just a little extra (I am sure no where near 11 to 15 percent more!)

Mike

 

[ScubaMilo]

Not really. The blood is already saturated long before that.

You utilise typically 4% Oxygen per breath. Higher O2 content just means you breathe it out. The whole point of nitrox is not to increase O2 content, it reduces nitrogen/inert contents - it just so happens that O2 replaces it.

Under pressure with even higher PPO2s then blood will definately be saturated to the extent the extra O2 content in nitrox will make no difference.

We are not only talking about blood saturation we are talking about tissue saturation.
Muscles basicly feed on o2 rich blood and return co2 as a byproduct therefore if higher levels of o2 are availiable in the blood then the muscles will have a better supply to feed off of.
If higher levels of o2 are just breathed out.:huh:
Then why would 100% o2 be the recomended treatment for almost any traumatic injury.
Seems like it would have no different effect 21% or 100%
But it does have a different effect.
Also partial pressure would have no effect on a diver if they could not absorb more o2 than the standard 21% provides.
I believe there is a major flaw in your theory.

Just my 2 cents
Milo

 

[HowardE]

How can ANYONE quantify scientifically "how well you FEEL?"

 

[wardric]

makes no major difference to me. Anyway, every dive is different and at the beginning of every dive, my physical condition is also different, so it's hard to compare.

It's now a big inside joke with my buddies. After a Nitrox dive, there's always one who will say how much he feels so much better