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tampering t1_iw71in1 wrote

Reply to comment by Prehensile in considering the stomach is highly vascular, does the use of blood thinners and/or beta blockers affect digestion? by Livid-Rutabaga

I think you have it reversed.

Beta receptors are receptors for epinephrine (adrenaline). Activation of the receptors among other effects, increases heart rate and force of contraction, and constricts blood vessels (these raise blood pressure). It can also make you more alert to the point of jitteryness. Beta2 receptors are found in the airway can cause the bronchioles to open improving breathing. So commonly used puffers for asthma etc probably contain the B2 activator.

A B-blocker blocks these responses from happening. So they block increases cardiac output associated with excitement or stress, and keep your heart and breathing at baseline.

And that is why B blockers are banned in precision sports such as snooker or target shooting. B2 Activators such as those asthma puffers are banned in cardio heavy sports because they improve the ability to pull oxygen through the airway.

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Prehensile t1_iw78hmk wrote

Okay, thanks for the clarification; I know it's used in musical performance, so I could've followed that case back to its correct line of explanation if I'd thought about it. And that's really interesting about the precision sports - I wouldn't have thought of the advantage of a beta blocker in sports like that but it makes perfect sense.

For some reason, I could never keep the adrenergic receptors straight. I think part of the difficulty for me, personally, is that I've taken a beta blocker and felt like it was easier to "breathe" which is obviously nonsensical from a bronchiole standpoint, so I probably keep transposing the effect in my head to make sense of that.

Thanks for the chance to revisit some of this!

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