Oxygen uptake of elite male cross country skier

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Gas exchange and transport in human beings is a precise balance of many components. It is dependent on the partial pressure of the gases in the atmosphere, the composition of inspired air (21% O2 at sea level), the individual's applied oxyhemoglobin disassociation curve, the surface area of available lung tissue, and the amount and ability of hemoglobin and red blood cells available to carry the oxygen.
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<br>Under normal conditions, an average adult male without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who lives at sea level will breath in about 4L of air per minute while circulating about 5L of blood. Oxygen dissolved in the blood (arterial) is about 98.5% bound to hemoglobin (Hb) and 1.5% is ...