Nitrox Fatigue

[Herk_Man]

Wow, I think you set a record for fastest thread closing time. It was closed before I could type and post a response. Good job!

How about triple blind. Without knowing that there was even a discussion or debate about whether Nitrox reduced fatigue, I noticed it on my own after diving both. I had no preconceived notions about either but definitely started to notice the difference in how early my need to go to bed occured based on what gas I had been diving.

Essentially I was irritated when I bonked much earlier than usual a couple of evenings and then later it kind of clicked for me. Went back through my dive log and sure enough, the nights that I ran out of energy early were the same as the days when I had been diving air.

But based on what we know nitrogen can do to you if you really screw up, coupled with the fact that your body requires time and effort to get rid of it, I think it's reasonable to at least form a rational hypothesis (note that I didn't jump to theory or law) that more nitrogen in your tissue can have a negative effect on your fatigue level.

But bottom line is this: We ain't gonna solve it here, "double blind scientific study" or not. So if you feel better after diving Nitrox, use it. If you don't and it offers you nothing in the way of increased bottom time, then don't spend any extra money on it. Easy squeezy.

 

[idocsteve]

I realize that I inadvertently suggested something that was potentially "unsafe" and I have requested that the moderator give me the opportunity to change the conditions of the experiment so that the diver does in fact verify the blend of both tanks but during the dive itself he or she will not be aware of which gas is in the tank.

Another suggestion on that thread was to keep both dives well within the safe limits of both gases which of course makes perfect sense and is of course required for the experiment even though I did not specifically say that in the guidelines for the challenge; and as I see it eliminates any danger due to not knowing which gas is being used on that particular dive.

 

[jmasin]

Nitrox Fatigue

Can a gas get tired?

All I can say is 3 or 4 dives a day on Nitrox and I felt great. Trip before that was 2 per day on air and I was tired.

I'll spend the extra few bucks for dive only trips.

Even if it is a placebo effect, if it works for me, it works, right?

 

[idocsteve]

Even if it is a placebo effect, if it works for me, it works, right?

Yes, that's a true and probably indisputable point.

 

[Tigerman]

Ive felt as tired on nitrox as I have on air and vice versa diving the same profiles on air and nitrox...
Ill use nitrox to extend my bottomntime and/or reduce the gas loading, not to "feel better"

 

[GLENFWB]

I agree with pretty much everything you said. But another consideration may be the types of dives you are doing on air and nitrox. What I mean by that is there seems to be a strong relationship between fatigue and the depths you dive to, as well as the rate at which you ascend. If you have a tendency to do a certain type of dive (depth and ascent rate) on air, and another profile on nitrox....it could be that the fatigue is coming more from the dive profile and less from the use of Nitrox or Air.

With that being said...my practice is if the dive profile allows for the use of Nitrox, I always use it. The less nitrogen the better in my opinion.

But bottom line is this: We ain't gonna solve it here, "double blind scientific study" or not. So if you feel better after diving Nitrox, use it. If you don't and it offers you nothing in the way of increased bottom time, then don't spend any extra money on it. Easy squeezy

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

A better idea ... slow down your ascent. That way it won't matter whether you're diving nitrox or air ... your body will thank you for it.

The benefits of nitrox are primarily for people who are on vacation and doing multiple dives per day over multiple days. You can extend your bottom time, or take shorter surface intervals, or both.

Any benefits based on the fatigue factor are more likely related to how controlled your ascents are, how well hydrated you are, how much sleep you got last night, and how many margheritas you had the previous evening ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Sas]

I feel no different between using air and nitrox. I have buddies who feel better though.

I don't think there is enough evidence to say one way or another, which means that there is no point in arguing over people's personal, subjective feelings about how they feel after they go for a dive/s.

And if it is a placebo, who cares if it makes people feel better.

 

[halocline]

I suspect that it's residual N2 loading that results in the fatigue. Using nitrox in an otherwise identical dive profile would theoretically lower N2 loading, so if the fatigue is caused by that, it would lessen the fatigue. But, lowering N2 loading through extended safety stops and slower ascents could theoretically do the same thing.

 

[jmasin]

The entire discussion is sort of predicated on two things
1. That being fatiqued isn't subjective, which it of course is
2. On an assumption that everyone will respond in a repeatable way to gas type / N2 loading and we already know that to be generally false. There will be differences in how different people physiologically react to these aspects of diving.

Now, if it were possible to ensure multiple people, identically hydrated, of otherwise identical vascular health, of identical blood concentrations, who at the same meal that morning etc. maybe a real study could be conducted.

I think there is truly going to be so much variation in the physiological aspects, and the subjectivity of "fatigue" that the entire question of fatigue is probably a c-shoot.

Reduced fatigue is probably not the best single reason to go Nitrox, but if it comes as a side effect, imagined or otherwise, so be it!