• Zeljko Dujić, Ante Obad, Ivan Palada, Vladimir Ivancev, and Zoran Valic.
• Department of Physiology, University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia. zdujic@bsb.mefst.hr
• Aviat Space Envir Md. 2006 Jun 1; 77 (6): 592-6.

IntroductionThe effect of post-dive exercise on bubble formation remains controversial, although the current practice of divers and aviators is to avoid strenuous exercise after diving. Previously, we have shown that exercising 24 h before a dive, or during a decompression stop, significantly reduces bubble formation in man. The objective of this study was to determine whether a short period of strenuous post-dive exercise promotes venous bubble formation.MethodsSeven male military divers performed an open-sea field dive to a maximum depth of 30 m for 30 min. At maximum depth, subjects performed mild underwater fin swimming, followed by standard decompression. Diving was followed by a post-dive exercise session consisting of short, strenuous incremental upright cycle ergometry, up to 85% of maximal oxygen uptake, for about 10 min. Subjects were monitored for venous gas bubbles in the right heart with an echo-imaging system starting 20 min post-dive while in the supine position, during cycle ergometry in the seated upright position, and immediately after exercise in a supine position.ResultsThe average number of bubbles was 1.5 +/- 1.4 bubbles x cm(-2) 20 min after diving. Changes in posture from supine to seated upright resulted in significant reduction of bubbles to 0.6 +/- 1.3 bubbles x cm(-2) (p = 0.043), with further reduction to 0.2 +/- 0.3 bubbles x cm(-2) at the end of exercise (p = 0.02). No cases of DCS or intra-pulmonary shunt were observed during or following post-dive exercise.DiscussionThese results suggest that post-dive strenuous exercise after a single field dive reduces post-dive gas bubble formation in well-trained military divers. Additional findings are needed for normal sports divers.

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