Carbon Dioxide (Co2) in Modern Age Health Care

 The effect of CO₂ in Veterinary care

In case of Horses, low carbon dioxide (CO₂) resulting from over breathing affects nerve cells which makes the horse hypersensitive to stimuli (spooky) and makes concentrating difficult. Stimulating The Bohr Effect with CO₂ helps bring CO₂ levels up towards normal, reversing this excitable state.

Increasing the body’s carbon dioxide levels increases the amount of oxygen that can be taken to the cells and tissues in the body by the red blood cells. This is because carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen on the haemoglobin in the red blood cells, so the more CO₂ there in the haemoglobin the more oxygen can be released by the haemoglobin. At the cells, the higher the CO₂ levels, the more oxygen is released from the globin and is therefore available to the cells for aerobic respiration. As the horse exercises more intensively the oxygen demand grows and if it cannot be met the cells have to go into anaerobic respiration. So increasing the oxygen availability with CO₂ treatment is likely to increase performance.

More oxygen supply to the cells in the body reducing the breathing, which makes even more oxygen available to the cells. If we treat our horse with CO₂ treatment before starting work, the increased oxygen in the muscles will result in increased cellular respiration, which produces heat. So we literally warm up the muscles of our horses. Delivering CO₂ into the blood stream releases oxygen from the blood to the cells (due to the Bohr effect) so the muscles will be able to continue to respire aerobically (using oxygen) upon exertion, for longer. This is good because once muscles are forced into anaerobic respiration they produce lactic acid which builds up and reduces muscle functioning and can result in stiffness and tying up. The more CO₂ is available in the muscles, the less prone they are to injury and the more fluidity, suppleness and ability is in the movement. In addition to better physical functioning, CO₂ treatment before your event improves brain function. When CO₂ enters into the blood stream vessel dialation occurs. Dialated blood vessels effect decrease in blood pressure and increase in blood velocity, which increases the speed of the extra oxygen delivery automatically. This naturally occurring process results in more oxygen reaching the brain due to relaxation of smooth muscle of blood vessels enabling better circulation, and better oxygen take up in the brain due to The Bohr Effect.

The horse is likely to have better concentration, problem solving ability and focus on the rider -important safety considerations for some disciplines. Lethargic horses may be suffering from lack of carbon dioxide and of oxygen. This causes fatigue as the cells are forced into anaerobic respiration which produces only tiny fraction of the energy produced by aerobic respiration. As a horse gets stressed, adrenaline production increases. This increases breathing which increases loss of carbon dioxide which results in even less oxygen being available. The idea is that increasing CO₂ level in the cells of the horses using CO₂ treatment increases oxygen supply and gives the horse more energy to burn without the heart getting more pressure.