need help from pre med students

[AntGod22]

OK GUYS I HAVE A QUESTION FROM MY HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY CLASS, HERE IT GOES

A student is beginnin to train for the swim teeam and in the early stages of her training, she experienced great fatigue following a workout and she found herself gasping and panting for air more then her teammates. Her couach suggested that she eat less proteins and fats, and increase the carbohydrates while she trains more gradually. She also complained about chronic pain in her arms and shoulders that begin with the training. Following an intense workout she experienced severe pain in her left pectoral region and sought medical help.
What might be responsible for this student's symptoms???

OK GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP ON THIS ONE I TRIED EVERYTHING AND I HAVE MY OWN IDEAS THAT IT COULD BE JUST FROM LACTIC ACID BUILDUP SINCE PROBABLY SHE ISNT GETTING IN ENOUGH AIR SINCE SHE IS SWIMMING IN WATER AND HOLDING HER BREATH. But why the left pect region and why tell me about the change in diet? please help this answer needs to be only a few sentences and handed in by 2 monday.
thanks
anthony

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[Artois]

Alright, here's what I think, but, like yourself these are only ideas, so take them for what they're worth.
First, I don't think it's due to lactic acid buildup. I think lactic acid would cause post-exercise soreness and a feeling of fatigue during exercise. I am leaning toward her being anemic. Being anemic puts abnormal stresses on your entire cardiovascular system. That would explain the fatigue and the shortness of breath on exertion. If the anemia is severe enough, it could result in heart failure. Becuase the entire CV system is affected, the diaphragm would need to work harder, which would refer pain to the anterior aspects of the shoulders. As for the diet, well, the coach probably hasn't had any training and seeing a tired athlete automatically assumes that they don't have enough energy to do the workouts, hence more carbohydrates. Or if he did have some idea of what was going on he might have recommended it on the fact that CHO are for high intensity, short duration activities and fats and proteins are more for low intensity, long duration.
Again, those are just my thoughts on the subject, I've taken a couple of physiology classes but it's been awhile and I am by no means, a physician. Good Luck and let me know.

 

[Sweaty Paul]

antgod,

Is she on Oral birth control pills? If so she could be throwing shower pulmonary embolisms. This would lead to pain in chest, shortness of breath etc. It can be non-diffuse pain or it can spread.
Another option for acute onset chest pain could be a collapsed lung (pneumothorax). What is her body type?

Also, is the diet info a distractor or is it an important part of the question?
As a former swimmer who dealt with lots of lactic acid I don't think that is the answer. Anemia is also a possibility.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Sweaty

 

[Sweaty Paul]

AntGod22,

Two other thoughts that occured to me.

Young females with breathing troubles often caused by Primary pulmonary Hypertension.

Could she be having an angina? This would explain the radiating pain into both arms. I know that she is young but there is an idiopathic disease process called Myocyte Hypertrophy that affects young people, typically athletes where the myocytes hypertrophy, with exercise not enough O2 to the heart, get ischemia and ultimately Infarct.

She could also have a familial hypercholesteremia IIa that if untreated can cause early MI as a result of early and severe onset of atherosclerosis. Might explain the coaches theroy about decreasing fat, though I think she would need more than that (statins, niacin, etc.)

Sweaty