A Complete Simulation

Model > User's Guide > A Complete Simulation

The General Idea

The section describes the steps that are needed to create and control a complete simulation. The topic is physical exercise. The goal is to monitor the physiological mechanisms that help to deliver large amounts of oxygen to working skeletal muscle.

The simulation will be divided into 3 periods: a 5 minute control period, a 5 minute exercise period, and a 5 minute cooldown period.

The Control Period

We begin by clicking Restart to reset the model’s variables to their initial values.

Use the Go menu to advance the solution 5 minutes.

Use the toolbar buttons to select the relevant panels and record values of interest.

The Exercise Period

We begin the exercise period by clicking the exercise toolbar button.

Select exercise bike for the type of exercise and slide the exercise level slidebar up to moderate (150 watts).

Exercise is under way.

Advance the solution another 5 minutes. Record values of interest.

Look for big increases in ventilation and blood flow.

Note the large decrease in venous pO2 that occurred during exercise, the leftward and downward movement of the operating point on the oxygen dissociation curve and the change in the shape of the dissociation curve. The ghost shows the initial dissociation curve and operating point.

The Cooldown Period

We end exercise by again clicking the exercise toolbar button. Select None for the type of exercise; this gets the guy off the exercise bike.

Advance time a final 5 minutes and record values. You should see many of the variables that you have been following return toward their control values.

Notice the recovery of cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate in the figure above.

The simulation is complete.

Panels that provided useful information during this simulation include

Charts
Monitor
Blood Chemistry
Ventilation
Blood Flow
Skeletal Muscle
Heat And Water Losses

 
End

updated 03-21-05