How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute?

Edvin M · 27th November 2007, 11:29

Hi!
Does anyone know how much oxygene a uncounsious diver use per minute?

I calculated that when I hold my breath for about 6 minutes which is my record I have about 6 liters of air in my lungs which equals 1.3 litres of pure O2 and about the same amount stored in my blodd and my vesseln, I know that i blackout at about 4-5 percent so that leaves my with a use of 0.4 liters of O2 per minute. Should be something like that or perhaps even much lower?

Abbo · 27th November 2007, 13:15

I'm not sure where you are trying to go with this. Bear in mind I'm not a doctor or biologist. Obviously, a diver metabolises 1 litre/min of oxygen, though there is some oxygen in the lungs and bloodstream. However, if he is not getting that then the body uses the less efficient anaerobic respiration to generate energy, producing lactic acid. In cold water, bradycardia slows the heart by as much as 50% and vasoconstriction shuts down the peripheries to concentrate blood in the critical organs to maintain life. People have been known to survive 15 minutes or more unconscious in cold water, but it is best not to count on this.

jaap · 27th November 2007, 13:43

Quote: (Originally Posted by Edvin M)

Hi!
Does anyone know how much oxygene a uncounsious diver use per minute?

Don't know about divers. But there is plenty of data in the litterature about sleeping or uncounsious adults. A quick search seems to yield some thing like 0.2-0.3 lpm which sounds reasonable.

Some rough couch experimenting I did breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV.

Dave O · 27th November 2007, 22:14

Quote: (Originally Posted by jaap)

Don't know about divers. But there is plenty of data in the litterature about sleeping or uncounsious adults. A quick search seems to yield some thing like 0.2-0.3 lpm which sounds reasonable.

Some rough couch experimenting I did breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV.

Humm, watching TV, does that assume the brain is completely non functional?

kiwi_diver · 27th November 2007, 22:31

Quote: (Originally Posted by jaap)

... breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV...

JAAP, that don't say much for the quality of Swedish TV

... Begs the question, "would it be any higher if you were reading a Henning Mankell novel...??"

Ray.

**jepuskar** · 27th November 2007, 23:59

Dude, seriously...quit holding your breath and quit blacking out. I think some brain cells have been damaged over the testing period.

jaap · 28th November 2007, 01:53

Quote: (Originally Posted by kiwi_diver)

JAAP, that don't say much for the quality of Swedish TV

... Begs the question, "would it be any higher if you were reading a Henning Mankell novel...??"

Ray.

No idea, could give it at try. Have seen those books laying around on, like on her side of the bed.

**nigelh** · 28th November 2007, 08:24

Quote: (Originally Posted by Edvin M)

I calculated that when I hold my breath for about 6 minutes which is my record I have about 6 liters of air in my lungs which equals 1.3 litres of pure O2 and about the same amount stored in my blodd and my vesseln, I know that i blackout at about 4-5 percent so that leaves my with a use of 0.4 liters of O2 per minute. Should be something like that or perhaps even much lower?

Six minutes is impressive, I'm guessing that wasn't face down in the water where I am pushed to exceed three.

Breath hold diving isn't really controlled by O2 but CO2. I've done a big breath hold with a cheap O2 sensor and the blood at my fingertip didn't drop significantly below 98% saturated.

Also I have been accused of a samba freediving, I overdid it badly on a 'Free immersion' dive to 25m and was grabbed by the safety diver as I hit the surface, and the lips weren't blue but when I had a medical problem I have gone to the "His lips have gone blue!" point and there's no discomfort. However in neither case did I have the presence of mind to hitch myself up to a blood oxygen checker so no numbers...

Edvin M · 28th November 2007, 19:51

[quote=nigelh;153964]Six minutes is impressive, I'm guessing that wasn't face down in the water where I am pushed to exceed three.

Breath hold diving isn't really controlled by O2 but CO2. I've done a big breath hold with a cheap O2 sensor and the blood at my fingertip didn't drop significantly below 98% saturated. [quote]

I dont really agree with you there, when I started to freedive my breathholding was controlled by CO2, I always gave up when I was getting to heavy "need-to-breath" feelings but after a while I conquered them and could hold my breath until I blacked without a problem.

Regarding your blood O2 level, I did some reading about freediving medice where people where using O2 meters to check blood O2 level and they were in the area of <95% so apparently you will continue to have a high level of O2 in your blood which brings my metabolic down to 0.2 l/minute.

So the figures Jaap stated should be correct.

**jepuskar** · 29th November 2007, 03:36

"I always gave up when I was getting to heavy "need-to-breath" feelings but after a while I conquered them and could hold my breath until I blacked without a problem."

27th November 2007, 11:29	#1 (permalink)
Edvin M New Member Current Rebreather/s: Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Home Build Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lysekil, Sweden Posts: 83	How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Hi! Does anyone know how much oxygene a uncounsious diver use per minute? I calculated that when I hold my breath for about 6 minutes which is my record I have about 6 liters of air in my lungs which equals 1.3 litres of pure O2 and about the same amount stored in my blodd and my vesseln, I know that i blackout at about 4-5 percent so that leaves my with a use of 0.4 liters of O2 per minute. Should be something like that or perhaps even much lower?
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27th November 2007, 13:15	#2 (permalink)
Abbo Going down on Meg Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tokyo Posts: 389	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? I'm not sure where you are trying to go with this. Bear in mind I'm not a doctor or biologist. Obviously, a diver metabolises 1 litre/min of oxygen, though there is some oxygen in the lungs and bloodstream. However, if he is not getting that then the body uses the less efficient anaerobic respiration to generate energy, producing lactic acid. In cold water, bradycardia slows the heart by as much as 50% and vasoconstriction shuts down the peripheries to concentrate blood in the critical organs to maintain life. People have been known to survive 15 minutes or more unconscious in cold water, but it is best not to count on this. Last edited by Abbo : 27th November 2007 at 23:11.
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27th November 2007, 13:43	#3 (permalink)
jaap Normal people worry me Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other CCR RB80 / Clone Ray Other SCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR RB80 / Clone Ray Other SCR Home Build Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Stockholm Sweden Posts: 438	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Quote: (Originally Posted by Edvin M) Hi! Does anyone know how much oxygene a uncounsious diver use per minute? Don't know about divers. But there is plenty of data in the litterature about sleeping or uncounsious adults. A quick search seems to yield some thing like 0.2-0.3 lpm which sounds reasonable. Some rough couch experimenting I did breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV. __________________ My initials: JAAP
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27th November 2007, 22:14	#4 (permalink)
Dave O Wreck Diver Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 104	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Quote: (Originally Posted by jaap) Don't know about divers. But there is plenty of data in the litterature about sleeping or uncounsious adults. A quick search seems to yield some thing like 0.2-0.3 lpm which sounds reasonable. Some rough couch experimenting I did breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV. Humm, watching TV, does that assume the brain is completely non functional? __________________ Only people who bat for the wrong team wash their undersuits......... I wanna smell piss when I go diving, not ferkin' fabric softener! <decodiver> Schizophrenics never dive solo. My Blog
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27th November 2007, 22:31	#5 (permalink)
kiwi_diver Alias - Ray Mansell Current Rebreather/s: Other SCR Other Rebreather/s: Other SCR Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 157	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Quote: (Originally Posted by jaap) ... breathing a small loop O2-Rebreather tuning the O2-flow yielded about 0.4 lpm O2 for me relaxing in a couch watching TV... JAAP, that don't say much for the quality of Swedish TV ... Begs the question, "would it be any higher if you were reading a Henning Mankell novel...??" Ray. __________________ Ray. == Latitude 36 South, where the deeper you dive, the warmer it gets! ==
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27th November 2007, 23:59	#6 (permalink)
jepuskar NA Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 391	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Dude, seriously...quit holding your breath and quit blacking out. I think some brain cells have been damaged over the testing period.
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28th November 2007, 01:53	#7 (permalink)
jaap Normal people worry me Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other CCR RB80 / Clone Ray Other SCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR RB80 / Clone Ray Other SCR Home Build Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Stockholm Sweden Posts: 438	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Quote: (Originally Posted by kiwi_diver) JAAP, that don't say much for the quality of Swedish TV ... Begs the question, "would it be any higher if you were reading a Henning Mankell novel...??" Ray. No idea, could give it at try. Have seen those books laying around on, like on her side of the bed. __________________ My initials: JAAP
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28th November 2007, 08:24	#8 (permalink)
nigelh New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Brighton, Sussex, UK Posts: 792	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? Quote: (Originally Posted by Edvin M) I calculated that when I hold my breath for about 6 minutes which is my record I have about 6 liters of air in my lungs which equals 1.3 litres of pure O2 and about the same amount stored in my blodd and my vesseln, I know that i blackout at about 4-5 percent so that leaves my with a use of 0.4 liters of O2 per minute. Should be something like that or perhaps even much lower? Six minutes is impressive, I'm guessing that wasn't face down in the water where I am pushed to exceed three. Breath hold diving isn't really controlled by O2 but CO2. I've done a big breath hold with a cheap O2 sensor and the blood at my fingertip didn't drop significantly below 98% saturated. Also I have been accused of a samba freediving, I overdid it badly on a 'Free immersion' dive to 25m and was grabbed by the safety diver as I hit the surface, and the lips weren't blue but when I had a medical problem I have gone to the "His lips have gone blue!" point and there's no discomfort. However in neither case did I have the presence of mind to hitch myself up to a blood oxygen checker so no numbers... __________________ nigelh
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28th November 2007, 19:51	#9 (permalink)
Edvin M New Member Current Rebreather/s: Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Home Build Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lysekil, Sweden Posts: 83	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? [quote=nigelh;153964]Six minutes is impressive, I'm guessing that wasn't face down in the water where I am pushed to exceed three. Breath hold diving isn't really controlled by O2 but CO2. I've done a big breath hold with a cheap O2 sensor and the blood at my fingertip didn't drop significantly below 98% saturated. [quote] I dont really agree with you there, when I started to freedive my breathholding was controlled by CO2, I always gave up when I was getting to heavy "need-to-breath" feelings but after a while I conquered them and could hold my breath until I blacked without a problem. Regarding your blood O2 level, I did some reading about freediving medice where people where using O2 meters to check blood O2 level and they were in the area of <95% so apparently you will continue to have a high level of O2 in your blood which brings my metabolic down to 0.2 l/minute. So the figures Jaap stated should be correct.
(Online)

29th November 2007, 03:36	#10 (permalink)
jepuskar NA Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 391	Re: How much oxygene does a uncounsious diver use per minute? "I always gave up when I was getting to heavy "need-to-breath" feelings but after a while I conquered them and could hold my breath until I blacked without a problem."
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