Posted by John Walker on April 22, 2001 at 08:01:07:
In Reply to: CO2 Retention?? posted by Steve on April 20, 2001 at 23:01:33:
Steve, some people do retain CO2 simply do to their physiology. Divers with a higher fat content seem to be high in that retainer group. So do divers with limited exersice.
Gases with a higher resistance through defusion and breathnig aparatus will also cause a retention of CO2. This is a big advantage that we see in the use of Helium. You can even hear the difference when you purge you regulator. The gases that back up in tissue (slower to defuse) appear to hold the CO2 back from perfusion as well. This can cause a acidosis problem (hypercapnia).
John Walker