When the ancestors of modern reptiles emerged from the water and committed to air breathing, they triggered an approximate .300-million-year evolutionary journey that led us to the wonderfully complex network of tubes, membranes, and muscles we presently call the human respiratory system (West, Watson, and Fu 2007). Its primary purpose: the movement of oxygen (O2) from the air we breathe into our blood and then carbon dioxide (CO2) in the opposite direction. Under normal conditions, human respiratory machinery is considered “overbuilt” for the demands typically placed upon it (Dempsey, La Gerche, and Hull 2020).

• The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science book: https://www.nbtiller.com
• Skeptical Inquirer magazine: https://www.skepticalinquirer.org
• Original article & references: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/when-medicines-go-rogue-part-2-oxygen/

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