Changes in blood oxygen saturation and heart rate of young male and female subjects due to flow rate of highly concentrated oxygen

This study investigated differences in blood oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and heart rate (HR) due to flow rate, gender, and phase in males and females in their twenties when the supply of 93% highly concentrated oxygen was altered (1 L/min, 3 L/min, and 5 L/min). A total of 20 college students, including 10 males (25.0+/-1.8 years) and 10 females (23.7+/-1.9 years), were recruited for the study. The experiment consisted of three phases: Rest 1 (5 min), Hyperoxia (10 min), and Rest 2 (10 min). SpO(2) [%] and HR [bpm] were measured during each phase. SpO(2) was higher in the Hyperoxia phase than in the rest phases. Higher flow rate was associated with an increase in SpO(2), and the SpO(2) of females was higher than that of males, regardless of flow rate or phase. HR decreased in the Hyperoxia phase compared to that of the rest phases. However, there was no difference in HR due to flow rate and gender.