Pulse Oximeter Use by Athletes During Exercise

Athletes are truly individuals that devote their life for the wellness of their bodies and their health. They strive ever so hard in order to reach new heights of physical wellness and stamina. However, one of the problems that arises is the fact that athletes do not stop to measure their vital signs during extreme or intense exercise. This is critically important as many injuries or even life threatening injuries occur to absolutely healthy adults in situations of intense exercise due to the fact that the athletes didn't take the time to measure their vital signs in order to determine whether they are at a stable and healthy level.

For example, the individual may be on the treadmill exercising and preparing for a local marathon. They may determine that today might be the day that they need to especially increase the intensity of the exercise in order to meet certain thresholds of health and fitness in order to get ready for the marathon. Unfortunately what the athlete doesn't realize that pushing one's body to such an extreme may have serious health side effects and complications if the body's response to such exercise is not monitored closely. One big issue is that the athlete is not in any way monitoring their vital signs such as pulse rate and oxygen level. Pulse rate is in essence one of the most basic yet important vital signs that needs to be monitored in individuals. The pulse rate truly gives health professionals an indication of a specific level of health of individuals. A great device to use in order to monitor yourself during intense exercise is the use of a pulse oximeter.

A pulse oximeter is a health device that is used to measure pulse rate as well as blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). The oximeter utilizes infrared light that passes through the person's skin and comes back with a measurement of the pulse rate. Due to the fact that the blood-flow comes in and out of the tissues at differing levels then oximeter uses the infrared light to measure such differences and in turn comes back with a number which designates the pulse rate. On the other hand, blood oxygen saturation or SpO2 is representative of the percentage of oxygen in the hemoglobin or blood in your blood. This is an extremely important vital sign to not only monitor but also take care that it doesn't fall below unhealthy levels. The pulse oximeter instantly measures the blood oxygen saturation and reports back a number which will allow you to gauge whether you are at healthy levels or not. What athletes can do is quite innovative not only in the field of sports but also technology. The new generation of pulse oximeters are very small and portable. They are smaller than the size of the smallest cell phone on the market today and as such can be taken by the athlete where they desire to go. The athlete simply takes out the oximeter during exercise and by inserting their finger inside the device they can noninvasively get their pulse rate as well as Sp02 levels.

Sports Doctors - Helping Athletes Recover

Athletes of any type live a slightly different lifestyle than non-athletes. Their lifestyle is a little more prone to certain kinds of injury. They are also affected by different kinds of psychological problems. Because of the special needs of athletes, new fields of medicine have been introduced to tailor their services to these athletes.

Sports medicine is a field focused on the recovery of injuries that occur while playing a sport or participating in any other athletic activity. Sports medicine doctors are more familiar than general practitioners with injuries that usually result from heavy strain and physical activity. Because all of their clients are athletes, they quickly become familiar with common athletic related injuries. Sports medicine's first priority is helping the patient recover, but they also try to get the patient back on their feet as soon as possible.

Sports psychology is also a relatively new field. It helps athletes with mental and emotional problems that are impeding them from performing their best. They focus on things like motivation and team relationships in an attempt to keep the athlete as psychologically healthy as possible. The theory is that a psychologically sound athlete will be more motivated and focused, and will perform optimally.

While it may seem silly to you that so many medical and psychological resources are being focused on men and women essentially playing games, keep in mind that sports medicine helps anybody who exercises regularly, and regular exercise is a vital key to overall health.

If you run marathons, and you start having pains in your legs or feet, or if you're a dancer and you have an achy back, sports medicine doctors will best be able to diagnose and treat your pain, and sports psychologists can help you get back to the mentality you had before your injury.