Oxygen Delivery

Splenic release of stored red blood cells provides additional oxygen during breath-holding. The oxygen boost from splenic contraction can meaningfully increase available oxygen during breath-holding. Nasal breathing during walking increases oxygen delivery efficiency by approximately 20% compared to mouth breathing. Blood oxygen saturation does not prove that oxygen is being delivered into organs, muscles, or the brain. High-intensity exercise causes over-breathing that depletes CO2 and paradoxically impairs tissue oxygen delivery. Hypoxia is low oxygen at the tissue level rather than merely low oxygen in the blood. The additional oxygen boost is approximately 10% in most people. Hemoglobin normally transports oxygen through the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells need oxygen in addition to fuel to produce energy. Blood delivers oxygen through red blood cells and hemoglobin. CO2 is essential for the Bohr effect, the process by which hemoglobin releases oxygen into tissues. The brain is especially vulnerable to reduced oxygen delivery because it depends on oxygen and glucose to function properly. Walking maintains a balanced oxygen-to-CO2 ratio that enables deep tissue oxygen…