A Focused Review on the Maximal Exercise Responses in Hypo- and Normobaric Hypoxia: Divergent Oxygen Uptake and Ventilation Responses

Benedikt Treml, Hannes Gatterer, Johannes Burtscher, Axel Kleinsasser and Martin Burtscher
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Benedikt Treml: Department of General and Surgical Intensive Care, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Hannes Gatterer: Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Johannes Burtscher: Institute of Sport Sciences, Synathlon, Uni-Centre, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Axel Kleinsasser: Postoperative Critical Care Unit, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Martin Burtscher: Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: The literature suggests that acute hypobaric (HH) and normobaric (NH) hypoxia exposure elicits different physiological responses. Only limited information is available on whether maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test outcomes, performed on either the treadmill or the cycle ergometer, are affected differently by NH and HH. A focused literature review was performed to identify relevant studies reporting cardiorespiratory responses in well-trained male athletes (individuals with a maximal oxygen uptake, VO 2 max > 50 mL/min/kg at sea level) to cycling or treadmill running in simulated acute HH or NH. Twenty-one studies were selected. The exercise tests in these studies were performed in HH ( n = 90) or NH ( n = 151) conditions, on a bicycle ergometer ( n = 178) or on a treadmill ( n = 63). Altitudes (simulated and terrestrial) varied between 2182 and 5400 m. Analyses (based on weighted group means) revealed that the decline in VO 2max per 1000 m gain in altitude was more pronounced in acute NH vs. HH (−7.0 ± 1.4% vs. −5.6 ± 0.9%). Maximal minute ventilation (VE max ) increased in acute HH but decreased in NH with increasing simulated altitude (+1.9 ± 0.9% vs. −1.4 ± 1.8% per 1000 m gain in altitude). Treadmill running in HH caused larger decreases in arterial oxygen saturation and heart rate than ergometer cycling in acute HH, which was not the case in NH. These results indicate distinct differences between maximal cardiorespiratory responses to cycling and treadmill running in acute NH or HH. Such differences should be considered when interpreting exercise test results and/or monitoring athletic training.

Keywords: exercise testing; normobaric; hypobaric; maximal oxygen uptake; maximal minute ventilation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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