pubmed-article:2096656 | pubmed:abstractText | In ten subjects CO2-inhalation elicited a significant increase in mean oxygen partial pressure within biceps muscle by more than 35%. Though mean oxygen partial pressure within biceps muscle increased, the distribution of oxygen partial pressure (pO2-histogram) did not change suggesting a physiological distribution of oxygen delivery within biceps muscle during hypercapnia. Buffering the blood pH did not abolish the effects of the CO2-inhalation. Therefore, a decrease of peripheral blood pH could not account for the hypercapnia induced increase of mean oxygen partial pressure within biceps muscle. Our data suggest that oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle was increased during hypercapnia, most probably due to a hypercapnia induced rise of mean capillary blood flow. | lld:pubmed |