CONTENTS Introduction 1 1. Physiological foundations 6 1.1 Basic mechanisms and functions 6 1.1.1 The discovered cellular capillary wall switching mechanism of the blood microcirculation with varying effects in the lung and other body tissue 6 1.1.1.1 Ideas on the triggering of the switching mechanism of the blood microcirculation at the venous end of the capillaries 6 1.1.1.2 Differences in the triggering of the switching mechanism in the various organs and tissues. Relationship to the degree of effectiveness of the O2 multistep therapy procedures 10 1.1.2 The O2 partial pressure and the proportion physically dissolved in the blood during and after O2 multistep therapy 15 1.1.3 O2 binding curves and exhaustion of the O2 binding capacity of the blood 16 1.1.4 Increase in the O2 delivery to the tissue by means of artificial reduction of the O2 affinity of hemoglobin 17 1.1.5 The determination of the resting O2 status and further characteristic values 18 1.1.5.1 Definition of the resting O2 status 18 1.1.5.2 Time of day for determination 20 1.1.5.3 Determination of the arteriovenous saturation difference T at rest as a relative characteristic value of the O2 status 20 1.1.5.4 Determining the resting O2 uptake of the organism as an absolute characteristic value of the O2 status 28 1.1.5.5 Determining the maximal O2 uptake as a characteristic value of the energetic reserves of the organism 31 1.1.5.6 Determining the lung function parameters 32 1.1.5.7 Determining the resting CO2 production as a characteristic value of the oxygen utilized by the organism 32 1.1.5.8 Determining the physical performance capacity 33 1.1.5.9 Determining the optical reaction time 35 1.1.6 Establishing and influencing the “biological” age 36 1.1.7 Methods of assessing the blood microcirculation 37 1.1.8 The effect of the cellular switching mechanism of the microcirculation in the lung; effects of PO2-art 39 1.1.8.1 The loading of the blood with oxygen 39 1.1.8.2 The reduction in the Po2art due to age and stressful influences 41 1.1.8.3 The reduction in thePo2-art due to stressful influences 44 1.1.8.4 The increase in the Po2-art by means of O 2 multistep therapy procedures and exercise 47 1.1.8.5 The level of PO2-art and n, and its relation to the amount of circulatory reserves . . . . 52 1.1.8.6 Lung-conditioned, O2MT partial nonresponders; influencing factors, contra indications 54 1.1.8.7 Further causes for lung-conditioned partial therapy nonresponders; distribution disorders; proportion of the arteriovenous shunt volume 60 1.1.9 The effect of the cellular switching mechanism of the microcirculation in the other body tissue; effects of 61 1.1.9.1 Change in the diffusion parameters of the capillary system 61 1.1.9.2 Slight drop in the Po2-ven with age; dependence of the T-value on age 62 1.1.9.3 The increase in Po2-ven due to stressful influences, particularly in conditions of weakness 63