oxygen debt
noun
: a cumulative deficit of oxygen available for oxidative metabolism that develops during periods of intense bodily activity and must be made good when the body returns to rest
Examples of oxygen debt in a Sentence
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Getting hard-core exercise is the most important part—driving myself to the brink of oxygen debt on an elliptical machine to jack my endorphins up to battle against everything that’s coming.
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Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2023
And pity the fool who goes out too hard, which is a bad idea in any kind of racing but can result in severe oxygen debt at altitude in snowshoes.
—John Meyer, The Know, 18 Feb. 2020
But what a beautiful place to run into severe oxygen debt.
—John Meyer, The Know, 28 Feb. 2020
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Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2023
And pity the fool who goes out too hard, which is a bad idea in any kind of racing but can result in severe oxygen debt at altitude in snowshoes.
—John Meyer, The Know, 18 Feb. 2020
But what a beautiful place to run into severe oxygen debt.
—John Meyer, The Know, 28 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Oxygen debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxygen%20debt. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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oxygen debt
noun
: a cumulative deficit of oxygen available for oxidative metabolism that develops during periods of intense bodily activity and must be made good when the body returns to rest
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