Physiology Practical Assessment Questions

can you explain what information you can get from an expired air sample and why this is useful

you ca get sample flow rate which allows you to calculate the volume of sample FEO2/FECO2 (L), you can also get the FEO2 which allows you to see how much O2 has been extracted by the body and FECO2 concentrations; knowing these concentrations means we can work out RER

what is BMI

Body Mass Index—> weight (kg) / height (m²)

what is the normal range for BMI

18.5-24.9

what are the limitations of BMI

does not consider body composition

body mass can fluctuate throughout the week

not suitabel for amputees

what is blood pressure

measurement of strain placed on the vascular system during contraction and relation of the heart

what can blood pressure tell us

diagnostic tool for CVD

what is the normal range for blood pressure

90-129 (systolic) / 60-84 (disatolic) mmHg

what is the hypotension range (low)

less than 90 (systolic) / less than 60 (diastolic) mmHg

what is the hypertension range (high)

higher than 130 (systolic) / higher than 85 (diastolic) mmHg

explain what glucose is

simple carbohydrate (monosaccharide) that circulates in the blood and is the body’s main fuel for high intensity exercise

why do we measure glucose

can give us an insight into energy availability and metabolic regulation- decreasing glucose levels = reliance on carbohydrate metabolism

what is the normal range for blood glucose

4.0-6.0

explain what lactate is

by-product of anaerobic glycolysis

why do we measure lactate

you can identify metabolic thresholds like lactate threshold and OBLA and it is also a marker of exercise intensity

what is a normal value for blood lactate

0.5-1.5

why would you want to know someone’s body fat percentage

helps you understand the balance of fat mass and fat-free mass in a persons body and provides insight into body composition

what are the limitations of skinfolds for calculating body fat

technician error

only measures subcutaneous fat

limitations of skin folds

time consuming

training required

only looks at subcutaneous fat

assumptions made in calculations

pros for skinfolds

portable equipment

good correlaiton with gold standard models

DEXA

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

uses X-ray tech to determine the density of body tissues

medical diagosis of osteoporosis

pros of DEXA

gold standard for bone density, body mineral content and body composition assessment

non-invasive

cons of DEXA

expensive

specialist training required

slower test than others

exposure to radiation

bioelectrical impedance

measures the amount of impedance to a small electrical current-

electrical conductivity dictated by water content of various tissues-

ued to calculate body fat percentage

pros of bioelectrical impedance

simple

portable equipment

cons for bioelectrical impedance

affected by hydration status

assumption within calculations

poor agreement with gold standard

other models that separate fat mass and fat free mass compartments

MRI, hydrostatic weighing, BodPod, Bioelectrical impedance, DEXA