Oxygen sensors help confirm it’s healthy to be fit

It seems like an obvious statement to say that being fit is good for your health, but recent research used oxygen sensors to demonstrate the link between the two factors.

How are health and fitness linked?

They are not necessarily intrinsically linked – for example, in the study used, fitness was determined in terms of how much oxygen the body uses per kg of weight per minute, a measure known as a metabolic equivalent, or MET.

People whose maximum exercise rate in METs is higher are generally considered to be fitter, but this is not the same as being healthier.

Researchers at the Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute in Detroit, Michigan compared these measures of fitness with participants’ health – in particular, whether they suffered from hypertension, or high blood pressure.

They found that people with maximum work rates of less than six METs were over 70% likely to have high blood pressure, whereas for people who exercised at 12 METs or over, the chance was less than 50%.

Detecting early signs of illness with oxygen sensors

Senior study author Dr Mouaz H Al-Mallah said: “Hypertension is associated with a lot of other illnesses and adds significantly to healthcare costs, so we need to know how we can reduce it.

“This is a clear message to everyone: patients, physicians and lawmakers. It’s very important to be fit.”

It’s also an indication of how oxygen sensors can be used not only directly in measurements of fitness, but also indirectly in a potentially very wide range of illnesses as well.

Envin Scientific design and sell many types of oxygen and other gas sensor. Take a look at out range here, or speak to a member of the team about how we can help you.