The benefits of a lack of oxygen rather than an excess of it can be clearly explained by the results of a study by scientists.
One of them compared the effects of enriched and depleted air on the well-being of children with respiratory diseases. Two groups of patients took part in the study: one was treated with oxygen-enriched air, and the other — with oxygen-depleted air.
Comparison of enriched and depleted air
At first, it seemed that higher doses of oxygen had a more favorable effect on the children. After inhaling oxygenated air, their cheeks flushed and they seemed to be more awake than the second group.
And conversely, children who were treated with air with reduced oxygen seemed a little tired and pale.
This soon changed, however. The children who were treated with air with lower oxygen levels were no longer pale, were more active, and were more alert, while the children in the first group gradually lost energy.
The researchers found in the observational study that an extra dose of oxygen does not have long-term health benefits, whereas a lack of oxygen – it does.
The effect of reduced oxygen in the air
It is only in recent years that we have begun to realize that oxygen-depleted air has a complex effect on our bodies. Until recently it was simply assumed that the body was producing more red blood cells to compensate for the lack of oxygen by optimizing oxygen assimilation.
It is now known that the body does not just react once to a small lack of oxygen, it triggers a whole chain reaction of body health: this is why training athletes at high altitude, with a lack of oxygen, is so effective in keeping them fit.
In addition to the fact that the body is not just reacting once to a small lack of oxygen, it triggers a whole chain reaction of body health: this is why training athletes in an oxygen deficient environment is so effective in maintaining their physical fitness.