Nitrox and Fatigue: the Evidence

[ofg-1]

Let me see if I understand this. First, you get up early to meet a charter boat, toss 150 pounds of junk in your car, some people drive 2 hours or more to meet the boat, carry 150 pounds of junk to the boat, ride on the SS Nausea for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, wedge yourself into a suit(wet or dry) in the heat, do an hour or so dive, haul your aged ass up a ladder back into the boat, take your gear off, wait an hour in the heat while eating Vienna sausage on a cracker drinking a Red Bull, and then get ready and do it again. And you are trying to figure out if you are less fatigued on nitrox?

 

[Storker]

you are trying to figure out if you are less fatigued on nitrox?

What I know is that on comparable dive days (getting out of bed at roughly similar times, schlepping roughly similar amounts of junk, using the same suit, eating roughly the same type of crap) with more than one dive close to the air NDL, I'm less prone to wishing I was in bed by 8pm if I use nitrox.

If it's placebo, I'm fine with that. Placebo works too.

 

[BRT]

Let me see if I understand this. First, you get up early to meet a charter boat, toss 150 pounds of junk in your car, some people drive 2 hours or more to meet the boat, carry 150 pounds of junk to the boat, ride on the SS Nausea for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, wedge yourself into a suit(wet or dry) in the heat, do an hour or so dive, haul your aged ass up a ladder back into the boat, take your gear off, wait an hour in the heat while eating Vienna sausage on a cracker drinking a Red Bull, and then get ready and do it again. And you are trying to figure out if you are less fatigued on nitrox?

And trying to figure out if another $10 really makes a difference.

 

[Ana]

Let me see if I understand this. First, you get up early to meet a charter boat, toss 150 pounds of junk in your car, some people drive 2 hours or more to meet the boat, carry 150 pounds of junk to the boat, ride on the SS Nausea for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, wedge yourself into a suit(wet or dry) in the heat, do an hour or so dive, haul your aged ass up a ladder back into the boat, take your gear off, wait an hour in the heat while eating Vienna sausage on a cracker drinking a Red Bull, and then get ready and do it again. And you are trying to figure out if you are less fatigued on nitrox?

When you put it that way, it makes me wonder why do people dive. I've never been that committed to the activity.
My regular weekend dives definitely don't require that much effort. Takes about an hour from locking the house door to splashing in the water.
With that said, I only dive nitrox if I'm doing more than one dive a day, which I usually don't. My thing is "one day- one dive" so I have time to compete other things that need to be done during the weekend.
I do not feel any difference, I use nitrox for 2 or 3 tank days for longer bottom times and shorter surface intervals. Doing one tank Saturday and another Sunday I'm fine with air, the reefs close by are anywhere from 30 to 80 changing up and down during the dive, typically I get an hour without deco, and that's good for me.

Not sure why is necessary to have scientific evidence that nitrox reduces fatigue, if it does I don't feel it. If someone else feels better with nitrox, would it change if evidence comes out that there's no reduction?

 

[Bob DBF]

Not sure why is necessary to have scientific evidence that nitrox reduces fatigue, if it does I don't feel it. If someone else feels better with nitrox, would it change if evidence comes out that there's no reduction?

You know scientists, give them a question and funding and they seem to be happy studying anything. One thing funny about scientists is that they have a more precise definition of words so less fatigue to them is a bit different than how other people use it. In one study it was noted that there was no difference in fatigue, however the divers felt better after Nitrox dives. Since the study was for fatigue, the feeling better didn't count as less fatigue.

I find no difference under the same conditions you describe, but do with multiday multidive trips.


Bob

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Let me see if I understand this. First, you get up early to meet a charter boat, toss 150 pounds of junk in your car, some people drive 2 hours or more to meet the boat, carry 150 pounds of junk to the boat, ride on the SS Nausea for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, wedge yourself into a suit(wet or dry) in the heat, do an hour or so dive, haul your aged ass up a ladder back into the boat, take your gear off, wait an hour in the heat while eating Vienna sausage on a cracker drinking a Red Bull, and then get ready and do it again. And you are trying to figure out if you are less fatigued on nitrox?

Best post ever! Even on my own boat, it's still gearing up, hauling four steel tanks to the dive shop and then back to the boat, bouncing around in rough swells for a few hours, washing the boat and rinsing the motors when we get back in the marina all so we can get frustrated over our photos when we get home. I'm exhausted after a day of diving nitrox.

 

[tursiops]

Best post ever! Even on my own boat, it's still gearing up, hauling four steel tanks to the dive shop and then back to the boat, bouncing around in rough swells for a few hours, washing the boat and rinsing the motors when we get back in the marina all so we can get frustrated over our photos when we get home. I'm exhausted after a day of diving xxxxxx.

Fixed that for you.

 

[dmaziuk]

Would it help to also consider the science behind the situation? We seem to be discussing cause and effect with no science to link the 2.

That is the point: if there was definitive science, there'd be nothing to discuss, no grant applications to write, no research funding to secure, nothing to see here, move along.

 

[Neilwood]

What I know is that on comparable dive days (getting out of bed at roughly similar times, schlepping roughly similar amounts of junk, using the same suit, eating roughly the same type of crap) with more than one dive close to the air NDL, I'm less prone to wishing I was in bed by 8pm if I use nitrox.

If it's placebo, I'm fine with that. Placebo works too.

Same for me and I really couldn't care if it is placebo or science that makes me feel this way.

 

[dmaziuk]

Same for me and I really couldn't care if it is placebo or science that makes me feel this way.

You might want to consider all those pesky medical professionals who say that even though many people feel invigorated after visiting oxygen bars, breathing EAN40 at 0 msw should be avoided unless prescribed by your doctor.