Athletes are often told to monitor their blood oxygen levels, but what does that even mean? And more importantly, why should you care? In this short blog post, we'll give you a quick overview of blood oxygen and its importance for athletes.
What is blood oxygen?
Blood oxygen (SpO2) is simply a measure of how much oxygen is being carried by your red blood cells.
Why is that important?
Why is that important? Because the oxygen in your body is used to break down glucose, creating fuel for your muscles. The more oxygen your blood can carry, the more energy your muscles can produce, and the better your performance is expected to be.
How do you measure blood oxygen?
There are a few different ways to measure blood oxygen, but the most common method is pulse oximetry. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive procedure that uses a sensor placed on your skin, normally your finger, to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Why should you care about blood oxygen?
If you're an athlete, it's important to monitor your blood oxygen levels because they can give you valuable insight into your body's physiological response to exercise. For example, if your blood oxygen levels drop during exercise, it could be an indication that you're not getting enough oxygen to your muscles and you may need to back off the intensity of your workout. Low levels of oxygen have also a detrimental impact on recovery https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/
Conclusion
That's everything you need to know about blood oxygen! Monitoring your blood oxygen levels is a great way to gauge how well your body is responding to exercise and make necessary adjustments to ensure that you're getting the most out of your workouts.
Is Blood Oxygen something ORB Smartguard could measure in the future? Possibly.. you’ll have subscribe to our newsletter so you’re one of the first to find out 😏 https://signup.orbinnovations.com
