Science

What If the World Lost Oxygen for Five Seconds?

By: Lorena Y. Tuazon

For most of the life forms in Earth, oxygen is the most essential element. Humans use oxygen in
a variety of ways, from breathing, construction of materials and do more than what you may have
realized. Without it, no living organism can survive. So, what if the entire world lost oxygen for just five
seconds?

You might think that holding your breath for five seconds isn't a big deal. After all, it's just five
seconds and most people can probably hold their breath for at least twenty seconds.

In reality though, if the world really lost oxygen even just for five seconds, the results would be
pretty devastating. It may not sound a lot but within just five seconds, the entire planet would be
completely different.

We all known that water has two constituents: 2 parts hydrogen and 1-part oxygen. Without
oxygen, the oceans would only be hydrogen gas and evaporate potentially turning the earth into a
desert.

Without oxygen, the Earth's crust would crumble sending everything above the ground in a free
fall. That' because the Earth's crust is made up of forty-five percent of oxygen. Therefore, without its
major element, the ground would disappear.

Oh yeah, the sky would also turn to black. With fewer particles for the light to bounce on due to
the absence of oxygen molecules would make the sky appear dark.

Not only that, any mode of transportation will fail. Since there is no oxygen, the internal
combustion process cannot occur. Planes will fall in the sky and millions of vehicles will stop in their own
tracks.

Sounds scary? Well, we probably wouldn't be around to witness this catastrophe as every living
organism would explode into hydrogen gas.

Oh, this all happens in the span of five seconds. So, what would happen after oxygen appeared
in the atmosphere again? There would be a huge explosion due to the oxidation of all bodies of water
further sending the Earth into an oblivion.

We already know that oxygen is important for survival but losing oxygen within mere five
seconds equates to doomsday. This probably wouldn't happen so you can take a nice deep breath.
 The Science Behind Muscle Growth

By: Lorena Y. Tuazon

Did you know that human body has over 600 muscles? Muscles do everything from pumping
blood throughout our body to helping us lift heaving things. Some muscles are controlled by us, while
others – like our lungs – do their jobs without us batting an eye.

As we are all aware, staying active is essential for overall health. It is also the considered as the
optimum way to encourage muscle growth. The duration it takes to grow muscle through activity varies
from person to person.

When someone continually challenges muscles by dealing with greater resistance and weight,
they’ll notice muscle growth. An increase in the size of the muscles is known as muscle hypertrophy. The
latter occurs when muscle fibers are injured or damaged. Once the body repairs the damaged muscle
fibers, the muscles will increase in mass and size. Contrary to popular belief, muscles do not grow during
workout but after. The type of exercise, nutritional intake, and hormones play a vital role in muscle
growth. Eat more, train a lot, and get lots of rest, you’ll build muscles in no time. Be sedentary and
stressed out, you probably won’t.

Not to mention, Bergeron (2018) suggests that the optimal number of days to lift weights per
week ultimately depends on your goals and your schedule. However, the best number to shoot for is
three days a week, with two as a minimum and four as a maximum. Lifting once a week will help in
building strength but muscle gain will not be as visible as compared with multiple trainings in a week.

Rest is also directly correlated with muscle growth. Not giving rest to each muscle group slows
down its ability to repair itself and raises the probability of injury. Getting enough sleep is also vital for
muscle growth. Antunes et al. (2011) states that the lack thereof decreases protein synthesis,
contributes to the loss of muscle mass, and reduces muscle recovery. Stress may also be detrimental in
the building of muscle, as hormones released during periods of stress have a negative effect on muscles.

Likewise, eating a balanced and healthy diet is key to staying fit. Protein-rich foods such as eggs,
meat, nuts, dairy etc. are particularly important in muscle building. Eating junk foods can be okay as long
as you treat yourself occasionally. Keep in in mind though that exercise cannot out train a bad diet.

Bergeron, S. (2018, April 13). How Many Days Should You Lift Weights Per Week? Retrieved from
https://www.builtlean.com/2016/12/22/days-per-week-lift-weights/.

Dattilo, M., Antunes, H., Medeiros, A., Neto, M. M., Souza, H., Tufik, S., & Mello, M. D. (2011). Sleep and
muscle recovery: Endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising
hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, 77(2), 220–222. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2011.04.017