The Physical Strength in Times of Crisis

Introduction

            It is a fact that humans have limitations with their abilities and capabilities. One of the characteristics being described by these abilities is the physical strength. Strength is a prerequisite to obtain optimum human performance in our everyday life. However, it is also limited to human level.

            Amazing stories has been heard and widely spread in the whole world about lifting cars, fighting with polar bears, pulling trucks and loads, etc. And how does this work of the human physical strength is limited? Most of these amazing stories happen during crisis. Thus, this paper intends to have explicit information about human physical strength during crisis.

As people encounter different resistances everyday, they use their strength to cope with them. These resistances are usually called stresses. Stresses are different impulses perceived by human beings. Things that happen in environment that can perceived by different senses of the human system and in return, they take into action or respond primarily for adaptation and survival.

            However, there are certain experiences perceived by human beings that make the response different from usual responses. This is called anxiety. Anxiety can be adapted by human when they adjust to their environment in a certain period of time. Another term applied for this is the fight or flight responses during danger or threat.

            This helps the human to preserve itself and get away from danger. The fight or flight responses occur when there is a threat and adrenaline is released and physical responses occur such as fast heartbeat, palpitations, and blood pressure increase. Majority of human beings restore back to normal after the event. But some people, the adrenaline is not metabolized, thus it stays longer in the body. (Tsilimparis, 2007).

            Moreover, due to these responses, human body sometimes exerts more energy than the normal energy it exerts. This paper intends to analyze the concept of physical strength during crisis such as danger, threat or emergencies.

Review of Related Literature

Adrenaline or Epinephrine

The medulla is the inner part of the adrenal gland. It receives messages from the nervous system and this causes the medulla to take two hormones that prepare the body for action. The hormones are epinephrine and nor epinephrine. Once in the blood, these hormones increase the heartbeat, the breathing, and the blood pressure. Epinephrine increases the sugar in the blood. Epinephrine does this by changing the speed at which the liver releases sugar in the blood. (Bauer, 2005).

The above literature explains the mechanism of human body in times of danger and unexpected circumstances. The changes mentioned above: increase in heartbeat, breathing and blood pressure, makes the human to exert more energy than the usual energy s/he produces.

            This is certainly because the hormones were not present before the danger or threat event has happened. Additionally, the presence of these hormones also makes the human respond more quickly.

The Human Physical Strength

When there is a threat or danger, messages are sent to a certain part of the autonomic nervous system which activates the epinephrine glands in the kidneys to secrete the hormone such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. This will be the initial action for fight or flight responses. There are two sub-sections of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The one that prepares the body for action is the sympathetic nervous system and also responsible in the release of energy. And after a certain period of time, the body returns to its normal condition. The one that acts as a stabilizer is the parasympathetic nervous system. (Tsilimparis, 2007).

            The nervous system primarily is the one responsible of controlling the body by sending messages from one part of the body to another. In times of crisis, the one responsible for a person’s quick movement is the nervous system.

            The literature cited above explains the functions of the nervous system when it perceives stimulus around its environment especially during times of crisis. The main function is to actually alert the organism in times of danger. Then the mind alters the human’s attention on the immediate surroundings for threat.

According to a study by David P. McCobb (2003), in the ‘fight-or-flight ‘ response, molecular memory of stress prompts adrenaline surges. Moreover, he said that fast heartbeat, fast breathing, metabolic and behavioral reactions help cope with acute threats. And these reactions are unhealthy in the long run.

With his co-researchers, they also discovered that steroid stress hormones tell whether the channels of potassium that controls adrenaline release are with STREX, which stands for stress exon. Through this STREX exon, the channels open more easily and widely such that the secretion is fast and in high amounts.”

Therefore, when a person is prone to crisis or danger or threat, more likely, s/he could have adrenaline surges in the long run and decreases the production of more energy during crisis. An impaired pituitary gland may also contribute to the abnormal function of adrenaline hormones and thus affecting the physical symptoms and strength of the person.

Characteristics

            According to the articles and studies, basically, the human body releases adrenaline hormones that prompt the body itself to release higher amount energy than the usual energy the body produces when these hormones are not present in the body.

            Crisis is the presence of danger or threat which is considered an unstable situation. This is primarily experienced by human beings when they are in the situation of decisive moment on how to protect and preserve themselves.

            Moreover, it is also found out that adrenaline surges can occur when the body is prone to crisis. Lastly, when a human’s pituitary gland is impaired, artificial adrenaline hormones like adrenocorticotropic hormone can prevent the human to weaken or will help the human survive.

Definition

            Personally, my belief before is that there were really extraordinary persons that produces extraordinary amounts of energy from their bodies that other typical persons could not do. However, as I went on with the research, every human really has the potential to exert greater amounts of energy especially in times of crisis such as emergencies, threats, or danger.

            Human physical strength can be boosted through the production of adrenaline. However, this production is involuntary and happens only in special cases such as when a person is in threat or in danger.

            Anything that gives pressure is considered as stress and this is an example of a crisis that a person can face or experience within his/her environment. This stimulus is perceived by the senses and the nervous system would be responsible for the actions on how the human processes the information and on the reaction.

Instrument Critique & Application

            In the research study of David P. McCobb, they used rats to test the level of STREX exon which causes the channel of adrenaline to open more easily. They removed the pituitary glands of the rat and the result showed a decrease in STREX-type channels. Therefore there is less secretion of adrenaline.

            In experiments like this, the use of rats as compensation to human body is necessary since the anatomy of a rat is almost the same with the human body. This study is a big contribution in the field of science and medicine. This discovery answers that  the human physical strength is affected by the pitituary gland especially during crisis and the injection of artificial adrenaline hormone will make a person survuve even with an impaired pitituary gland.

Relevance to Advance Practice Nursing

            Nursing is a professional craft that requires its practitioner to be a human being in the sense of professionalism and a person within a variety of contexts. These characteristics influence either directly or indirectly the performance of a nurse in his/her caring tasks.

            Two concepts can be interrelated with advance practice nursing: the concept of knowledge and the concept of situation.

The concept of human’s physical strength during crisis contributes to the body of knowledge that a nurse must possess. This concept is a part of the interwoven concepts defining the role of a nurse being responsible upon taking care of his/her patients.

When a nurse is knowledgeable about the situation of his/her patient, s/he is able to do what is proper such as recording the right data of the present condition of a patient. In other words, the nurse will be able to know how to deal with the situation. The discovery of the facts about the concept will make the nurse protect the patient.

Summary

            It is not the supernatural powers of other human beings that cause them to perform extraordinary tasks that exert great amount of energy. Well in fact, anybody can be able to do this according to studies. This is all because of the hormone, adrenaline or epinephrine that all human beings possess.

Adrenaline or epinephrine hormones are produced in situations of crisis such as emergencies, threat or danger. These hormones allow the human body to exert more energy than the normal or usual energy released. Moreover, the human body moves faster than the normal response. Therefore, the physical strength of a person can be affected by adrenaline rush in times of crisis.

            Nursing profession requires a body of knowledge that is interwoven with the concept of situation a nurse is into. In other words, a nurse must be aware not only with the situation (for example, when a patient is under stress and adrenaline rush), but also how to deal with the situation. That is when s/he is to use the concept of knowledge that s/he possess.

            But in times when a person has an impaired pituitary glands and may not be able to produce adrenaline hormones, artificial hormones can be injected for strength and survival. But these artificial hormones must be in right dosage for the safety of patients.

            It is also found out that excessive production of adrenaline causes adrenaline insurgency which is unhealthy in the long run. Moreover, this idea again can be used in controlling the situation of nurses’ patients. This is a characteristic that a nurse must possess.

            Stress, crisis, emergencies, threats, or danger may come to every human. These are the primary causes of adrenaline production that produces extreme amount of physical strength. This is a crucial stage or turning points for humans so they should decide properly at times like this.

References

Bauer, P. H. (2003). Experiences in Biology: Laidlaw Brothers Publishers.

Fogoros, R. N. (2006). Does Stress Really Cause Heart Disease?

Kubicek, K. (2005). Human Performance Capabilities [Electronic Version], I,      from             http://msis.jsc.nasa.gov/sections/section04.htm#_4.9_STRENGTH

McCobb, D. P. (2003). Tuning The ‘Fight-Or-Flight ‘ Response: Molecular Memory Of   Stress Prompts Adrenaline Surges, Cornell Study Shows [Electronic Version],             from    www.sciencedaily.com

Piatt, K. B., Jayne Scanlan, Merek Guy, and J. L. Mayhew , & Flagstaff Athletic Club, F.,        AZ (1999). Relationship between Isomeric Strength, Measurements and Physical       Performace in College Women [Electronic Version], from            http://www.iowaahperd.org/journal/RELATIONSHIP_BETWEEN_ISOM.html

Scott, Elizabeth, M. S. (2007). Stress Management [Electronic Version]. “The Definition            of         Epinephrine”, from    http://stress.about.com/od/stressmanagementglossary/g/Epinephrine.htm

Tsilimparis, J. (2002). What is the Fight or Flight Response Mechanism. Retrieved           January 2007, from http://www.donatonedesign.com/

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