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Day 41 - Medical update
David Blaine has talked repeatedly of the high acidity of his blood during the last few days. Nutrition expert Dr Adam Carey confirms that this is a side effect of starvation. Higher pH results from the body breaking down reserves of fat and protein in order to order to generate the glucose that is essential for brain function. Whether higher pH is related to the smell of sulphur that Blaine has repeatedly described is less certain.
Blaine has also said he is having difficulty breathing. Though it is difficult to pinpoint the cause without examining Blaine firsthand, Dr Carey believes this is most likely to be a side-effect of reduced muscle mass and strength. All muscles, including those in the body’s vital organs, reduce in size during starvation. In this condition, even something as simple as breathing may become more problematic as the diaphragm and lungs get weaker.
Blaine is due to emerge from the box on Sunday evening and will be taken directly to hospital where he will be gradually reintroduced to food. This could be the most dangerous phase, however. Damage may occur if re-feeding takes place before the bowel has recovered from the damage caused by starvation. There is also a possibility of electrolyte disturbance as the body struggles to adjust to food. In extreme cases such disturbance may even cause heart attack.
The first phase of recovery, during which the body is reintroduced to food usually takes 7-10 days. However, the process of building strength and fitness is much longer. Dr Carey believes that Blaine, who was in excellent physical condition before entering the box, will take up to six months to regain his former level of fitness.
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