Does Nitrox make you feel better? (split from Nitrox on OW course)

[scubadada]

I defiantly feel better after diving with nitrous. For some reason though, it increases my narcosis.

Some people tell me it's all in my head, to which I respond, "Of course! Where else would it be?"

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Now a dive on nitrous oxide would be quite interesting until you fell asleep

Silly Goose! I believe the opposite, but the corroborating evidence tells me otherwise. Therefore, I KNOW I perform better, etc etc.

How do you ever "know" when you have to take a dump? Do you conduct a double blind study every time you need to cr&p? How do you know when to stop eating? Do you conduct a rigorous examination of your stomach? Or do you feel full?

A studious technician might you be, but never a real thinker.

Bah anyways.

Peace
VI

No reason for you to go nonintellecual on us is it?

Good diving, Craig

 

[oxyhacker]

"Anecdotal" is the word usually used. And it's not an unproven theory as much as an uproven effect. The thing is, there is no one who has enough of a stake in nitrox right now as to want to put the sort of money in to it that it would take to prove or disprove the claim to scientifically accepted standards. But that doesn't mean the effect doesn't exist until someone does so, or that we cannot take advantage of the effect even if it hasn't been scientifically proven.

Since nitrox is cheap, so we can all do our own experiments and make up our own minds and, if we find the effect exists for us, take advantage of it. I am personally totally convinced that it greatly reduces the fatigue felt after diving (this is easily established by seeing how many coffees it takes to drive home from a distant dive site after two fairly-deep dives) and I think it reduces after-dive headaches. But my evidence is all anecdotal, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to accept it as gospel on my word. But at the same time, if a diver is doing dives in the range where nitrox is most beneficial, they got to be a little dense not to at least look into it.

The "feel good after diving" effects of Nitrox is an unproven theory.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

And more importantly; "how would that make me less impaired?"

Now a dive on nitrous oxide would be quite interesting until you fell asleep

Humor is so wasted on some people ...

"Anecdotal" is the word usually used. And it's not an unproven theory as much as an uproven effect. The thing is, there is no one who has enough of a stake in nitrox right now as to want to put the sort of money in to it that it would take to prove or disprove the claim to scientifically accepted standards. But that doesn't mean the effect doesn't exist until someone does so, or that we cannot take advantage of the effect even if it hasn't been scientifically proven.

Since nitrox is cheap, so we can all do our own experiments and make up our own minds and, if we find the effect exists for us, take advantage of it. I am personally totally convinced that it greatly reduces the fatigue felt after diving (this is easily established by seeing how many coffees it takes to drive home from a distant dive site after two fairly-deep dives) and I think it reduces after-dive headaches. But my evidence is all anecdotal, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to accept it as gospel on my word. But at the same time, if a diver is doing dives in the range where nitrox is most beneficial, they got to be a little dense not to at least look into it.

What would be really funny now is if he came back and refuted your comments based on something he read in a book ... and it turned out to be one that you wrote ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scubadada]

Everyone's personal opinion is correct,..... for them.

Good diving, Craig

 

[boulderjohn]

Undersea Hyperb Med. 2003 Winter;30(4):285-91.

Measurement of fatigue following 18 msw dry chamber dives breathing air or enriched air nitrox.
Harris RJ, Doolette DJ, Wilkinson DC, Williams DJ.

Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia 5000.

Many divers report less fatigue following diving breathing oxygen rich N2-O2 mixtures compared with breathing air. In this double blinded, randomized controlled study 11 divers breathed either air or Enriched Air Nitrox 36% (oxygen 36%, nitrogen 64%) during an 18 msw (281 kPa(a)) dry chamber dive for a bottom time of 40 minutes. Two periods of exercise were performed during the dive. Divers were assessed before and after each dive using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20, a visual analogue scale, Digit Span Tests, Stroop Tests, and Divers Health Survey (DHS). Diving to 18m produced no measurable difference in fatigue, attention levels, ability to concentrate or DHS scores, following dives using either breathing gas.
PMID: 14756231 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

The previous study mentioned was similar in nature and reported an insignificant improvement when diving nitrox.

Frankly, I would not expect to find any difference in a 40 minute dive to 18 meters. That is a pretty basic, easy dive, even when some level of exercise is added.

Where I see the difference is in multiple day diving, such as on a liveaboard or an extended, dive-intensive vacation. In those cases, I see a very significant difference.

I wold like to see a study that puts people in a 4 dive per day situation for a week and see if there is a difference.

 

[Thalassamania]

The previous study mentioned was similar in nature and reported an insignificant improvement when diving nitrox.

Frankly, I would not expect to find any difference in a 40 minute dive to 18 meters. That is a pretty basic, easy dive, even when some level of exercise is added.

Where I see the difference is in multiple day diving, such as on a liveaboard or an extended, dive-intensive vacation. In those cases, I see a very significant difference.

I would like to see a study that puts people in a 4 dive per day situation for a week and see if there is a difference.

That's the real point. On diving research cruises back in the days when there was only air, I'd make 4 or even 5 dives a day and by day four I'd start getting behind in my paperwork and I'd be taking a nap after lunch if the schedule permitted it. When we started diving EAN this changed radically. The change was not noticed in the first few days, but by the middle of the first week I could definitely feel a difference, and by the end of a week or two the difference was marked, my paperwork never fell behind and I was not trying to maneuver the dive schedule to permit myself an afternoon nap. If you want to dismiss this as just "anecdotal" go right ahead, I've more than enough separate trials to know which end my bed is buttered on.

 

[scubadada]

That's the real point. On diving research cruises back in the days when there was only air, I'd make 4 or even 5 dives a day and by day four I'd start getting behind in my paperwork and I'd be taking a nap after lunch if the schedule permitted it. When we started diving EAN this changed radically. The change was not noticed in the first few days, but by the middle of the first week I could definitely feel a difference, and by the end of a week or two the difference was marked, my paperwork never fell behind and I was not trying to maneuver the dive schedule to permit myself an afternoon nap. If you want to dismiss this as just "anecdotal" go right ahead, I've more than enough separate trials to know which end my bed is buttered on.

OK, so there will never be the controlled clinical trials to answer this question. We can all believe what we want to believe on this issue, scientific data or anecdotal experience based. At least my bed is not buttered on either end, thank goodness.


Good diving, Craig

 

[kombiguy]

I seem to recall reading somewhere(Undercurrents?) the results of a study(or perhaps accumulation of anecdotal evidence) that indicated that divers who used nitrox reported having more sex than divers using air. I believe it was based on married couples during week long dive trips. Or perhaps I'm remembering things that never happened!

 

[Sas]

I seem to recall reading somewhere(Undercurrents?) the results of a study(or perhaps accumulation of anecdotal evidence) that indicated that divers who used nitrox reported having more sex than divers using air. I believe it was based on married couples during week long dive trips. Or perhaps I'm remembering things that never happened!

It's true: Nitrox sexual performance enhancer

 

[scubadada]

Hey Saspotato,

Would you suggest Nitrox 32 or 36, I can't decide?

Good diving? Craig