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Chemoreflex Control as the Cornerstone in Immersion Water Sports: Possible Role on Breath-Hold
Alexis Arce-Álvarez1,2,3, Camila Salazar-Ardiles1, Carlos Cornejo1
1Exercise Applied Physiology Laboratory, Centro de Investigación en Fisiología y Medicina de Altura, Departamento Biomedico, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
Frontiers in Physiology
|June 23, 2022
Summary
Immersion water sports athletes adapt physiologically to breath-holding (apnea) by altering chemoreflex control and autonomic function. This review explores how these adaptations, including spleen activation, aid oxygenation during prolonged apnea.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Sports Science
- Cardiorespiratory Regulation
Background:
- Immersion water sports necessitate prolonged breath-holding (apnea), requiring physiological adaptations for sustained muscle oxygenation without ventilation.
- Apnea triggers changes in arterial oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2), which are sensed by carotid bodies and the brainstem's retrotrapezoid nucleus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing evidence on chemoreflex control during voluntary apnea in immersion athletes.
- To propose a physiological model linking chemoreflex, autonomic function, and oxygen storage/delivery during apnea in water sports.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on chemosensitivity and autonomic responses in water sports athletes during apnea.
- Analysis of physiological data related to arterial gases, chemoreflex control, and sympathoexcitation.
Main Results:
- Water sports athletes exhibit longer apnea times compared to land athletes, with potentially decreased peripheral O2 and central CO2 chemoreflex sensitivity at rest.
- Marked sympathoexcitation occurs during maximal voluntary apnea in swimmers, suggesting a role for autonomic function and potential spleen activation.
Conclusions:
- Chemoreflex sensitivity, autonomic function, and oxygen-related organs are likely interconnected mechanisms supporting apnea in immersion water sports.
- Understanding these physiological links offers new insights into the respiratory physiology of water sports.
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