Affiliations: [a] University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw,
Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Wroclaw, Poland
Note: [] Address for correspondence: P. Hebisz, University School of
Physical Education in Wroclaw, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, al.
I. Paderewskiego 35, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland. Tel.: +48 507 54 87 37; E-mail:
paulinarydzik@interia.pl
Abstract: The present experiment, which lasted for five weeks, was performed
to investigate the effects of additional respiratory dead space on morphotic
elements of blood. Twelve amateur mountain bikers were divided into two groups:
experimental (E) and control (C). Apart from performing their daily training,
the participants had three endurance training sessions per week: the
experimental group with additional respiratory dead space (mask and tube –
1000 ml), the control group without any difficulty in respiration. The
haematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), red blood cell (RBC), mean cell
haemoglobin mass (MCH), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin
concentration (MCHC) and total work in progressive test for each subject were
lab-measured before and after the experiment. Following the experiment HGB, HCT
and RBC were significantly decreased only in E. Despite the above-mentioned
changes, the amount of work performed by participants during the progressive
test was significantly higher in the experimental group.
Keywords: Haemoconcentration, additional respiratory dead space, cycling training
