What would be the 5k World record if the runner was hooked up to a 100% oxygen tank?

In college, exercise physiology lab put me on bike with 21% O2 air and then 26% O2. 10% improvement in test to exhaustion for higher concentrations O2 air.

Breathing 100% oxygen is actually really bad for you. You would also need to take more breaths to get the same amount of oxygen because gas flow across the alveoli slows down. I would be really curious to know the biologically optimal oxygen concentration and air pressure for aerobic performance.

O2 wrote:

In college, exercise physiology lab put me on bike with 21% O2 air and then 26% O2. 10% improvement in test to exhaustion for higher concentrations O2 air.

Breathing 60% O2 performed 8% better during a 100kJ time trial.

I’m surprised Nike or some other shoe company hasn’t tried this with a shoe release a la sub 2 . Get somebody to run some world record time while breathing the right amount of oxygen. I imagine you could rig a cart with a tank of oxygen

So if there is an 8% improvement a 13:10 5k runner would run about 12:07. That’s about 3:54 a mile. It would be a great show to see someone run 3 back to back 3:54 miles. Would catch the imagination of the general public.

Is there a way to cheat with this? Hyperventilating before the race? Indoor track with artificial air?

Maybe next Olympic marathon, Rupp will receive oxygen bottles at the aid stations.

My idea would be ultra light plastic tanks of oxygen with Just enough O2 to last 15-20 minutes. You probably would need to reconfigure tanks to make them light.

Hounddogharrier wrote:

My idea would be ultra light plastic tanks of oxygen with Just enough O2 to last 15-20 minutes. You probably would need to reconfigure tanks to make them light.

Here's a start:

With the standard 4500 psi you're getting 30-45 min of air time......and that's just walking around and doing some work in a Level A or Level B.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

Hounddogharrier wrote:

My idea would be ultra light plastic tanks of oxygen with Just enough O2 to last 15-20 minutes. You probably would need to reconfigure tanks to make them light.

Here's a start:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006304/en/Luxfer-ECLIPSE™-World’s-Lightest-weight-SCBA-Cylinder-Firefighter

With the standard 4500 psi you're getting 30-45 min of air time......and that's just walking around and doing some work in a Level A or Level B.

Alan

Alan , how much do those packs weigh?

The % oxygenation of your blood is NOT a limiting factor in performance. Even if your blood was 100% oxygenated, the amount of oxygen your muscles use does not change. The mechanisms move oxygen from the blood to the muscles are the limiting factor.

When we run now, the blood in your veins (going back to the heart to replenish oxygen) is FAR above 0% oxygenated.

Stop thinking like one of those cyclist clowns with their featherlight water bottle cages and gigantic bellies.

tin can man wrote:

The % oxygenation of your blood is NOT a limiting factor in performance. Even if your blood was 100% oxygenated, the amount of oxygen your muscles use does not change. The mechanisms move oxygen from the blood to the muscles are the limiting factor.

When we run now, the blood in your veins (going back to the heart to replenish oxygen) is FAR above 0% oxygenated.

They why do people run so much slower at 10,000 feet where the oxygen is only 2/3rds what it is at sea level ?

Hounddogharrier wrote:

tin can man wrote:

The % oxygenation of your blood is NOT a limiting factor in performance. Even if your blood was 100% oxygenated, the amount of oxygen your muscles use does not change. The mechanisms move oxygen from the blood to the muscles are the limiting factor.

When we run now, the blood in your veins (going back to the heart to replenish oxygen) is FAR above 0% oxygenated.

They why do people run so much slower at 10,000 feet where the oxygen is only 2/3rds what it is at sea level ?

The lower pressure at altitude is what causes slower performances in distance events. There needs to be a strong partial pressure gradient to optimize flow of gas (O2).

the profit wrote:

So if there is an 8% improvement a 13:10 5k runner would run about 12:07. That’s about 3:54 a mile. It would be a great show to see someone run 3 back to back 3:54 miles. Would catch the imagination of the general public.

An 8% improvement in efficiency does not necessarily equal an 8% reduction in time. I doubt you’d see a 1:50:24 marathon even in controlled conditions or a 8.81 100m for that matter.

tin can man wrote:

Hounddogharrier wrote:

They why do people run so much slower at 10,000 feet where the oxygen is only 2/3rds what it is at sea level ?

The lower pressure at altitude is what causes slower performances in distance events. There needs to be a strong partial pressure gradient to optimize flow of gas (O2).

how do you know all this? is it related to your career? im awestruck

0W7VW wrote:

tin can man wrote:

The lower pressure at altitude is what causes slower performances in distance events. There needs to be a strong partial pressure gradient to optimize flow of gas (O2).

how do you know all this? is it related to your career? im awestruck

It's 101 how the lungs work

Hounddogharrier wrote:

I’m surprised Nike or some other shoe company hasn’t tried this with a shoe release a la sub 2 . Get somebody to run some world record time while breathing the right amount of oxygen. I imagine you could rig a cart with a tank of oxygen

Training with supplemental O2 is actually banned.

Roger Bannister used to play around with Oxygen breathing in the lab.