Hydrogen Gas Effects on Heart During Extreme Deep Sea Diving Study
- Authors
- V. Lafay, P. Barthelemy, B. Comet, Y. Frances, Y. Jammes
- Journal
- Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
- Year
- 1995
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- France
- Health Condition
- Cardiac Arrhythmia
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
A study on deep-sea divers found that their heart rates slowed down during a high-pressure dive, but most heart signals remained stable, although some changes suggested that dense gas breathing and microbubbles in the body could affect heart function.
Key Finding
During extreme saturation diving at 71 atmospheres with hydrogen exposure, divers experienced marked slowing of heart rate and shifts in heart electrical patterns that correlated with gas density and compression time, likely caused by pressure effects rather than hydrogen toxicity.
Summary
Researchers monitored the heart rhythms of three divers during an extreme experimental dive to 71 atmospheres (about 7,200 kilopascals of pressure) where hydrogen gas was introduced as part of the breathing mixture. The divers' heart rates dropped significantly at the start of compression, and their heart's electrical patterns shifted in ways that correlated with the pressure and gas density. The researchers concluded these changes were likely caused by the extreme pressure and dense gases affecting the heart's function, rather than by hydrogen itself, though they noted signs of possible bubble accumulation during the return to normal pressure.
Practical Takeaway
This study examined extreme experimental diving conditions far beyond normal hydrogen water consumption and does not provide information relevant to hydrogen water safety or health effects. The hydrogen exposure occurred at extreme pressures (71 atmospheres) as part of a specialized breathing gas mixture for deep saturation diving, which is completely different from drinking hydrogen-enriched water.
Abstract (excerpt)
Electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis was performed in three human divers during a 71 atm (7,200 kPa) saturation dive (COMEX HYDRA 10 experiment). The inhaled gas mixture was slightly hyperoxic; its composition was basically helium and oxygen. Hydrogen was introduced during compression and its partial…