LiveO2 frequently provokes blood oxygenation levels to deviate from what seems normal. These patterns often reflect issues with physiology that improve awareness of what is happening in the body.
LiveO2 has observed thousands of users during oxygen training. Our experience has caused us to expand the explanations of blood saturation patterns well beyond conventional models. Here are a few discoveries:
- Oxygen in the blood varies widely in different people — especially during exertion
- Low oxygen in the blood often indicates high tissue consumption during first/early sessions because tissues drain oxygen from the blood when the body has a rich surplus to repay debt;
- Low oxygen readings in the blood are not “dangerous” as long as the tissue has enough oxygen
About Pulse Oximeters
A pulse oximeter is a device that shines a light through the finger, and detects pulse rate by “watching” the blood flow tide usually in a finger.
They require an uninterrupted blood flow path from the heart. When users grab bike handles their grip often pinches the artery that feeds the finger preventing the oximeter from detecting the pulse.
A pulse oximeter shines a red light through the finger to measure the redness of the blood. The redness of the blood indicates the sum of oxygen and carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin. Blueness reflects the absence of oxygen or deoxyhemoglobin.
Carbon Monoxide
Pulse oximeters cannot differentiate hemoglobin occupied with oxygen from hemoglobin occupied with carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide exposure causes pulse oximeters present inaccurate high readings.
See Also
Abnormal Pulse Oximetry Readings
When a user does not exhibit normal saturation then there is one, or more, physiological preventing the the oxygen sensor from showing normal readings.
Users that have difficulty getting the pulse oximeter to provide a reading — often have poor circulation.
Pulse Oximeters DO NOT measure oxygen being delivered to tissue — only the amount of oxygen that could be delivered when the vascular system works properly.
See Also
Overview
Some reasons why apparent blood oxygen varies widely in different people. There are multiple scenarios based on overlooked but well known observations.
Carbon Monoxide internal or external
Carbon Monoxide makes blood red — just like oxygen. Pulse oximeters PO2 tell is the sum of [Carbon Monoxide + O2] in the blood. Medical references presume that oxygen in the blood is reliably delivered to the tissues. This is false for a variety of reasons, but usually do to an unrecognized inability of the vascular system to deliver blood, thus oxygen to tissues.
Presence of carbon monoxide in the blood causes pulse oximeters to indicate inaccurate high levels of oxygen. Adhesion of Carbon Monoxide to hemoglobin is much higher than oxygen.
In summary — an individual with carbon monoxide exposure will look like they resist desaturation because it is much harder for the body to release carbon monoxide.
Carbon Monoxide may be:
- Absorbed from the environmental contamination;
- Be created internally because of disease.
Individuals with carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin only desaturate after training enables the body to remove carbon monoxide from the lungs.
Inhibited Oxygen Delivery
There are several reasons why blood cannot reach and pass through capillaries:
- Arterial dysfunction, flaccidity, where arteries lack the ability to regulate blood routing, normally presents as hypotension, low blood pressure, due to vascular constriction, cardiac insufficiency
- Inflammation in capillaries prevents blood under adequate pressure to pass through capillaries.
- Blood agglutination or aggregation where blood cells stick together so the viscosity of blood inhibits flow;
- Dehydration where the blood plasma mass is insufficient to maintain physical separation of blood cells;
- Vascular constriction where arteries that inhibits blood delivery to tissue often with hypertension, due to sympathetic stress responses;
- Insufficient cardiac output to push blood through capillaries;
- Exposure to Carbon Monoxide from environmental or internal production from dysfunctional metabolism (shows erroneous level of blood saturation);
- Carbon Monoxide exposure — carbon monoxide binds more strongly to hemoglobin and obstructs oxygen absorption in the lungs.
Desaturation & Resaturation Definitions
Desaturation: — is when the blood saturation reading decreases as the amount of oxygen or carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin decreases;
Resaturation: when the blood saturation reading increases because of an increase in oxygen bound to the hemoglobin.
Saturation and Oxygen Debt
Medical texts presents stage a confusing view of blood saturation for several reasons:
- False Highs occur when carbon monoxide interferes with accurate readings, and that carbon monoxide is a result of disease and inflammation;
- False Lows occur when tissue consumption spikes due to high levels of tissue oxygen consumption;
- Symmetry Assumption: Varying readings occur when tissue on one side of the body uses more oxygen on the other due to asymmetric oxygen consumption;
- Oxygen Debt is an accumulated lack of an energy that occurs when a tissue is deprived of oxygen due lack of oxygen delivery;
- Oxygen Debt Payback occurs when oxygen delivery is restored to a tissue and the tissue consumes a large amount of oxygen often causing substantial desaturation.
Asymmetric Pulse Oximetry
Pulse oximetry is often asymmetric. This means that pulse oximeters on the left and right-hand show substantially different numbers. This indicates that blood in different flow circuits, delivered to different parts of the body, have different amounts of oxygen.
Many falsely assume that pulse oximetry is symmetric. First time LiveO2 users will usually observe different PO2 readings in the left and right side. This asymmetry indicates that one side of the body us using more oxygen than the other.
- O2 starts out normal
- There is usually an initial drop-lower in PO2 on the left or right side
- This side usually corresponds to a localized injury, disease or trauma
- The initial drop normalizes
- 2nd drop on the right side as the liver function ramps up
- Normalization
Local Oxygen Deficiency causes Asymmetric Oximetry
This pattern occurs when there is a localized deferred demand as a result of deferred oxygen deficit.
- Stage 0: Injury, disease or stress compromises oxygen delivery to a local tissue
- Stage 1: Normal respiration does not resolve the deficit;
- Stage 2: Increased oxygen supply rises to enable resolution of the deficit;
- Stage 3: Pulse oximetry reading on the corresponding side drops to reflect elevated oxygen consumption on that side;
- Stage 4: Pulse oximetry normalizes (typical) on both sides;
- Stage 5: Pulse oximetry reading on the right side drops as the liver kicks on
- Stage 6: Pulse oximetry reading equal on both sides
- Normal: Asymmetry does not occur unless there is a stress pattern.
The first stage is usually stressed, injured or diseased consumes large amounts of oxygen which temporarily reduces oxygen readings on one side of the body.
Asymmetric Desaturation Pattern Causes
The following explanations attempt to explain frequent observations that make up the patterns above. Most presentations, above, tend to a result of combinations of the following pattern causes.
- Systemic Detox causes liver to switch on resulting in right side dip
- Stressed tissue consumes large volume of oxygen
- Activation of organs with blood sources fed by the same arterial feed.
Symmetric O2 Oximetry
When oximetry varies the same on both sides then it indicates a whole-body localized effect. This is a typical scenario.
- Stage 0: Cells lose ability to absorb oxygen for unknown reason
- Stage 1: Normal PO2 at rest
- Stage 2: Increased oxygen available at rest
- Stage 3: Body senses increased oxygen available
- Stage 4: Cells hog as much oxygen as they can
- Stage 5: Deficit eventually satisfied
- Stage 6: Oxygen level goes to 99% once deficit satisfied
- Stage 7: Body turns of “oxygen conservation” and desaturation response normalizes
When you watch someone — this is a general guide to what may be happening inside. This is by no means a comprehensive list but here are the causes which we feel that contribute to various presentations arranged in estimated rate of observation.
Possible causes of symmetric desaturation pattern:
- Capillary Endothelial Inflammation
- Widespread Hypoxic Tissue from reduced blood flow
- Cellular clearance in stress-related hormones as a Drop and dwell at SPO2 98% during late phases of aggressive training — accompanied by minor shaking for 10 – 50 minutes following session.
- Localized Hypoxic Tissue from local trauma causing asymmetric PO2 readings
- Release of systemic toxins causing liver challenge which reduces PO2 on right side corresponds to breath odor and detox flows
- Respiratory Injury to the lung
- Temporary injury to blood that causes agglutination which causes durable systemic injury to vascular endothelium
- Mimics Ischemic Event
- Heart Attack in the heart
- Stroke in the brain
- Durable compromise in organ function for any other organ
- Lactic Acid Clearance in heavily muscular individuals releases and causes gall bladder sensations often followed by bowel clearance (football players);
- Anemia resulting in loss in functional blood volume for individuals who cannot tolerate exercise
Understanding Healthy Patterns
Healthy desaturation resaturation responses
- Test‑1 Desaturation Test: When a user switches to ‑O2 — Oxygen Saturation decreases as a function of exertion level and hypoxic air oxygen concentration;
- Test 2 Resaturation Test: When a user switches to +O2 after desaturation below 92%- Oxygen Saturation dips 2 – 5 % lower then rebounds 99% within 10 breaths (often 2);
Any observation which does not match these patterns indicates the user has compromised tissue oxygen delivery.
Sluggish desaturation indicates oxygen delivery from the blood is inhibited.
Prolonged low oximetry after switching to oxygen means that the body is repaying oxygen debt.
Do not try more challenging protocols until your resaturation pattern is normal. Repeat the challenge and recovery until resaturation is rapid.
Desaturation Challenge Testing
- Exertion on ‑O2 air hypoxic results in a decrease of PO2 reading to a minimum which is driven by exertion level and oxygen concentration in air;
- Switch to oxygen results in a further decrease in oxygen by 2 – 5 points for about 3 – 9 seconds, as oxygen debt accumulated during hypoxic challenge is repaid;
- Rapid rebound to 99% in 15 seconds or less after switch to oxygen;
- Advanced users dwell longer on low oxygen air to drive saturation levels lower as their training advances;
- Advance users measure how many breaths of oxygen is necessary to enable PO2 to return to 99%, optimal is only 2 breaths.
Anaerobic Lift Pattern
Advanced users can activate anaerobic metabolism especially with LiveO2 Extreme.
This pattern is observed on low-oxygen Hypoxic, as blood saturation decreases to a minimum then increases 2 – 5 points while remaining on hypoxic air while maintaining moderate exertion.
The pulse oximetry increase while remaining on low oxygen means the body has switched to primarily anaerobic energy production. The body uses mostly glucose, and is prone to generate lactic acid, when a sprint is activated from this mode.
This technique is enables modulation of EPO and HGH Human Growth Hormone for Anti-Aging and endurance enhancement protocols.
Do not attempt these protocols until you are experienced with LiveO2
Unhealthy Patterns
Desaturation indicates when oxygen is delivered to tissue. The ability to desaturate is an indicator of functional delivery, health, confirming that the body is able to deliver oxygen to cells.
Failure to desaturate indicates that the oxygen is stuck on hemoglobin and that cells are functionally deprived of oxygen.
Restoring the oxygen reserve in hemoglobin occurs very quickly, usually within 10 seconds. Resaturation that takes longer than this, even in advanced protocols, usually indicates payment of oxygen debt, thus recovery. (This is always good.)
Recovery Patterns
Initial Dipper Pattern On Oxygen
This is a recovery pattern occurs when a user repays oxygen debt when using oxygen. This pattern indicates the a physiologically important percentage of the user’s body has been oxygen deprived and that it is vulnerable to disease processes.
The dip indicates oxygen debt repayment. It is often common for the user or observers to “smell” volatile substances in the users breath or in body odor:
- DEET — insect repellent
- Perfume or deodorant
- Mold
- Yeast
- Chemicals including paint or solvents.
Users who experience this often small odors from air that is captured and then inhaled through the mask. They sense this more evident on low oxygen ‑O2. Clearance of smells indicates successful detoxification as the session progresses.
This pattern indicates resolution of recoverable chronic oxygen deficiency usually to tissues that have been in prolonged oxygen-deficient status.
High oxygen consumption by oxygen-deprived cells causes short-term elevated consumption observable as low pulse oximetry reading all while on high oxygen +O2. The degree and duration of the low oxygen reading indicate the amount of oxygen used by tissues during recovery.
Protocol guidance — maintain moderate to light exertion and remain on oxygen until pulse oximeter(s) show at least 98%. Do not sprint or use hypoxia.
The 99er Pattern
This pattern is common with illness or fatigue. It occurs when the users body cannot resists desaturation, even when on low oxygen. It occurs when there is a physiological obstacle preventing blood from delivering oxygen to tissue:
Cause‑1: — Capillary Shunting
The endothelial inflammation reduces below the passable diameter of a red blood cell (RBC). When this occurs, only plasma can flow through the capillaries, limiting energy production to anaerobic fueled by glucose absent oxygen.
The unnaturally high PO2 usually occurs when blood cannot reach tissues due to endothelial capillary inflammation. These normally experience fatigue because cells are in an oxygen deprived status because blood shunts around capillaries. See Capillary Shunting
The reduced capillary cross section causes RBCs to go around narrowed capillaries. RBCs that don’t pass through capillaries do not release oxygen much like a vehicle that cannot release a payload — it just remains full. This shows up as an unnaturally high starting PO2 and a tendency NOT to desaturate during hypoxic exertion challenge.
This pattern has been observed:
- Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue
- Cancer patients after chemotherapy
For comparison a starting saturation level of about 97%, with
rapid desaturation to 87%, is normal (sea level).
This pattern contradicts the typical medical conclusion that a high
hemoglobin saturation indicates good tissue oxygenation. The medical
interpretation presumes, usually incorrectly, that oxygen can always
move from the RBC to tissue. By the time this saturation pattern,
99 – 100%, occurs when the person’s body has a large percentage of
under-oxygenated tissue.
The severity of systemic hypoxia is indicated by how long it takes
them to re-saturate after the inflammation is reversed. On the pulse
oximeter, how many minutes does it take them to saturate to 99% after
they resaturation dip?
The longer the time, the greater the accumulated
oxygen tissue debt.
The degree of systemic hypoxia is indicated by how long it takes the
person to re-saturate afterward (the amount of time the person spends
on oxygen with a low oxygen level).
The problem is that the oxygen bound to hemoglobin cannot dissociate
because it never passes through the capillaries where it can release
oxygen. In this case, unnaturally high hemoglobin saturation means
poor tissue oxygenation.
Resolution Pattern
The telltale for resolution of this pattern is a dramatic drop in
PO2 late in the session while on oxygen. Here is a model
for what happens:
- Capillary pulse pressure reaches the penetration threshold as
arterial blood pressure and hypoxia-induced vasodilation deliver
more pressure to capillary bed. This takes effort and some time.
It does not happen instantly, and takes 5 – 10 minutes of effort. - Endothelial cells switch back to normal metabolism and pump-out
sodium and quickly shrink back to normal size - Capillary opens to red blood cell passage and tissue reoxygenation begins
- PO2 drops as tissues absorb large amount of oxygen until
reperfusion is complete, usually in 2 – 4 minutes.
Started abnormally high 99% PO2 on start and then desaturated to 80% after hypoxic challenge about 9 minutes into the session. User remained at 80% PO2 for 2 minutes while breathing oxygen. Normal resaturation time is 5 seconds.
Typical Observation
The telltale for resolution of this pattern is a dramatic drop in PO2 late in the session while on oxygen. Here is a model for what happens:
- Capillary pulse pressure reaches the penetration threshold as arterial blood pressure and hypoxia-induced vasodilation deliver more pressure to the capillary bed. This takes effort and some time; it does not happen instantly, and takes 5 – 10 minutes of effort.
- Endothelial cells switch back to normal metabolism and pump out sodium and quickly shrink back to normal size
- Capillary opens to red blood cell passage and tissue re-oxygenation begins
- PO2 drops as tissues absorb large amounts of oxygen until re-perfusion is complete, usually in 2 – 4 minutes.
Pathological Hints
This is the typical chronic-fatigue pattern. It usually includes persistent muscle touch sensitivity from regional tissue acidosis. Over time this condition can progress to multiple local and systemic disease states:
- Hypoglycemia as under-oxygenated tissues use excessive glucose. If the liver fails to keep up with demand, then blood sugar falls to hypoglycemic levels and causes systemic fatigue.
- Gall bladder conditions include discomfort and gallstones. When the Cori Cycle depletes lactic acid reacts with bile in the gall bladder to precipitate solids which often form gallstones and cause discomfort.
- This author suggests that tissues that retain excess lactic acid for a long time become hypersensitive as with fibromyalgia.
See Fatigue Protocol for more information.
Protocol Suggestion
Recurrence
Normally this pattern only occurs once during early use. Re-perfusion is durable until conditions that caused endothelial inflammation recur.
LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast appears to be a requirement to provoke resaturation. It seems the reason for this is that reduced-oxygen air creates vasodilation and increases arterial pulse pressure, which maximizes pulse pressure at the capillary entrance. This re-perfusion effect has not been observed with LiveO2 Standard.
What to Expect
If you experienced this pattern, you will likely:
- Feel stronger and have increased endurance
- Reduced cravings for sweets and simple carbohydrates
- Reduced tendency for muscle soreness
- Greater strength in major muscles
- Reduced tendency for loose stools
- Improved fat digestion from improved bile availability
- Have an increased respiration rate at rest
Cause 2 Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon Monoxide binds to hemoglobin about 254x more strongly than Oxygen. CO causes blood to appear unnaturally red tricking the Pulse Oximeter to register inaccurately high.
Carbon Monoxide may be internally produced. So you may exhibit this absent exposure to environmental carbon monoxide.
LiveO2 enables the body to expedite release carbon monoxide but it requires longer-term training. Contact your trainer for advanced support.
A user with carbon monoxide bound to hemoglobin will resist desaturation.
The 100 Pattern
This occurs when a user observes a PO2 of 100%. This pattern reflects oxygen delivery to cells is severely inhibited due to one or more problems. This also presents as a stuck at 98% or 99%.
Acute Capillary Shunting
Capillary structures are based on a central thoroughfare channel that transports blood between the arterial and venous networks.
When the systemic network of capillaries is substantially blocked, blood cannot deliver oxygen to corresponding tissues.
When the capillary systems are substantially blocked this failure causes blood to return to the heart with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. This causes the Pulse Oximeter to show unusually high saturation.
Individuals with this condition will normally exhibit:
- Unusually large desaturation events during early training sessions as oxygen surges restore capillary flow and cells consume large amounts of oxygen;
- Asymmetric pulse oximetry readings show tissues on left vs right opening up corresponding to areas with active and stale injuries. Right oximetry tends to dip more often than left due to high oxygen enabling surges of liver function. Left side dips tend correlate to oxygen restoration to injured tissues.
Instructions:
- Easy does it
- Continue to escalate training
- May take 3+ sessions to achieve desaturation