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Ok, so what do you all think of this:
The rate of blood flow to the brain is regulated, in part, by the carotid and other chemo-, and baro-, receptors.
We also have a "dive response" that further attempts to preserve adequate oxygenation of the brain, while we "hold" our breath under water.
Now, I think that it would stand to reason that if we were to spend some quantity of time under water, every day, these changes would become permanent.
So, say, you spend a total of one hour a day every day for one month holding your breath underwater. One month being sufficiently long to effect physiologic change. The compensatory mechanisms that at first were transient, would eventually become lasting, physiological changes. This, more or less on the general principle of 'adaptation.' That is, the body adjusts to stresses placed on it. In this case, prologed, minimal hypoxia, and an increase in pressure (from being underwater).
Not that this is the same, by the hypertrophy of the body builder would be analogous. In this case, there should be permanent vascular dilation, and perhaps angiogenesis.
Essentially, you would wind up with greater blood flow to, and perfusion within, the brain.
Admittedly, some of the new vasculature would probably only dialate under increased use...but still, it would be available whereas before it would not have been.
Now, I dunno if this would necessarily make you "smarter" as such, but more fresh oxygenated blood to the brain can't be a bad thing now, can it?
Oh, and if you were to add to your diving regimen a course of a drug such as Nootropil (piracetam) which putatively increases cerebral perfusion, would this enhance the overall effect?
So, again, in sum, there would be, at the end of your month of sitting at the bottom of the swimming pool, more blood flow to your brain--permanently!
Or have I been reading my Guyton too much
...?
KWBum
[email protected]
The rate of blood flow to the brain is regulated, in part, by the carotid and other chemo-, and baro-, receptors.
We also have a "dive response" that further attempts to preserve adequate oxygenation of the brain, while we "hold" our breath under water.
Now, I think that it would stand to reason that if we were to spend some quantity of time under water, every day, these changes would become permanent.
So, say, you spend a total of one hour a day every day for one month holding your breath underwater. One month being sufficiently long to effect physiologic change. The compensatory mechanisms that at first were transient, would eventually become lasting, physiological changes. This, more or less on the general principle of 'adaptation.' That is, the body adjusts to stresses placed on it. In this case, prologed, minimal hypoxia, and an increase in pressure (from being underwater).
Not that this is the same, by the hypertrophy of the body builder would be analogous. In this case, there should be permanent vascular dilation, and perhaps angiogenesis.
Essentially, you would wind up with greater blood flow to, and perfusion within, the brain.
Admittedly, some of the new vasculature would probably only dialate under increased use...but still, it would be available whereas before it would not have been.
Now, I dunno if this would necessarily make you "smarter" as such, but more fresh oxygenated blood to the brain can't be a bad thing now, can it?
Oh, and if you were to add to your diving regimen a course of a drug such as Nootropil (piracetam) which putatively increases cerebral perfusion, would this enhance the overall effect?
So, again, in sum, there would be, at the end of your month of sitting at the bottom of the swimming pool, more blood flow to your brain--permanently!
Or have I been reading my Guyton too much
...?KWBum
[email protected]
