BLOG: Ali Cobb  21st Aug 2010
 
Day 1 of CPEX for Team B

Today was the first day of CPEX testing for Team B. It appears that the CPEX machines have acclimatised after a week at the Margherita Hut as everything ran very smoothly today and we managed to test 6 subjects successfully and finish in time for a cup of tea! The weather remains glorious which means that the hut is still very busy. However, good weather appears to bring good food as we had delicious lasagna for lunch; a great improvement on the polenta we were eating all last week (sorry Team A)!

Now the research is in full flow once more, our daily morning routine begins with alarms going off at 5.45am. Once everyone has found their head torch and scrambled out of bed there is a NO breath analysis test to be done and bloods to be taken before the daily diary. The diary consists of taking resting oxygen saturations, blood pressure and respiratory rate and then carrying out two minutes of stepping exercise (which is surprisingly exhausting at 4559m!) before repeating the observations. Once this is completed we are allowed to eat breakfast, providing it is all done before 7am as breakfast will be cleared away at 7 on the dot! After breakfast the CPEX testing begins.

Tomorrow is another day of CPEX for six lucky subjects. Hopefully the weather will stay fine so we can enjoy a stroll around the local area and the food remains good!

XE Blogs:
Other blogs by Ali Cobb:
26/08/10
Xtreme Alps leave the Margherita Hut
25/08/10
The final day for Xtreme Alps at the Margherita Hut
24/08/10
The packing begins at the Margherita Hut
23/08/10
The final day of CPEX testing for the Xtreme Alps Team
22/08/10
Yesterday was too good to be true...!
20/08/10
Team B arrive at the Margherita Hut