Hormonal and cardiorespiratory changes following simulated saturation dives to 4 and 11 ATA

Professional divers were compressed with trimix to 4 ATA (2 persons, aged 35 and 26) and to 11 ATA (3 persons, aged 34, 26, and 23) for saturation dives with durations of 48 and 50 h, followed by 33 and 109 h of decompression, respectively. Pre- and postdive cardiorespiratory reactions to a step test--heart rate (HR) and ventilation (VE)--and concentrations of growth hormone, corticotropin, cortisol, insulin, lutotropin, folitropin, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyrotropin, and testosterone in serum were studied. All divers developed postdecompression tachycardia (90-108 beats/min), which persisted 24 h after surfacing. Physical fitness assessed by steady state HR and VE during a step test was lowered 24 h after decompression compared with the predive values in 4 divers and enhanced in 1. These data provide evidence for hindered and delayed readaptation of the cardiorespiratory system to a normobaric environment. T3, T4, and testosterone were significantly decreased postdive. Hormonal responses were found to exhibit a very individual pattern from which it was possible to estimate the adaptive reactions after hyperbaric exposure. Professional divers with a lower level of physical fitness showed more pronounced hormonal responses to hyperbaric environments.