Influence of Hypoxic Interval Training and Hyperoxic Recovery on Muscle Activation and Oxygenation in Connection with Double-Poling Exercise

Abstract

Here, we evaluated the influence of breathing oxygen at different partial pressures during recovery from exercise on performance at sea-level and a simulated altitude of 1800 m, as reflected in activation of different upper body muscles, and oxygenation of the m. triceps brachii. Ten well-trained, male endurance athletes (25.3±4.1 yrs; 179.2±4.5 cm; 74.2±3.4 kg) performed four test trials, each involving three 3-min sessions on a double-poling ergometer with 3-min intervals of recovery. One trial was conducted entirely under normoxic (No) and another under hypoxic conditions (Ho; FiO2 = 0.165). In the third and fourth trials, the exercise was performed in normoxia and hypoxia, respectively, with hyperoxic recovery (HOX; FiO2 = 1.00) in both cases. Arterial hemoglobin saturation was higher under the two HOX conditions than without HOX (p<0.05). Integrated muscle electrical activity was not influenced by the oxygen content (best d = 0.51). Furthermore, the only difference in tissue saturation index measured via near-infrared spectroscopy observed was between the recovery periods during the NoNo and HoHOX interventions (P<0.05, d = 0.93). In the case of HoHo the athletes’ Pmean declined from the first to the third interval (P < 0.05), whereas Pmean was unaltered under the HoHOX, NoHOX and NoNo conditions. We conclude that the less pronounced decline in Pmean during 3 x 3-min double-poling sprints in normoxia and hypoxia with hyperoxic recovery is not related to changes in muscle activity or oxygenation. Moreover, we conclude that hyperoxia (FiO2 = 1.00) used in conjunction with hypoxic or normoxic work intervals may serve as an effective aid when inhaled during the subsequent recovery intervals.

Anaerobic metabolism induces greater total energy expenditure during exercise with blood flow restriction

“…Accordingly, some studies have suggested that during exercise performed under local hypoxia the aerobic metabolism is decreased, while the anaerobic metabolism (i.e., alactic and lactic energy systems) is increased [ 9 , 10 ]. It is believed that increased anaerobic energy production may evoke higher metaboreflex activity and, consequently enhance heart rate (HR) response, cardiac output, and ventilation ( ) to adequately supply O 2 to exercising muscle and remove the metabolites generated from the anaerobic metabolism [ 11 – 13 ].…”

Is the use of hyperoxia in sports effective, safe and ethical?

“…Although older studies showed that hyperoxia improves local muscle blood flow (at least in dogs) (Barclay et al., ), a recent investigation concluded that the less pronounced decline in mean power during three 3‐min double‐poling sprints under normoxic or hypoxic conditions with hyperoxic recovery was not related to alterations in muscle activity or oxygenation (Zinner et al., ). In fact, breathing 100% oxygen during a 4‐min recovery period between two bouts of exercise did not change the recovery of minute ventilation or heart rate or subsequent performance (Robbins et al., ).…”

“…Findings concerning the effects of hyperoxic breathing during recovery from high‐intensity exercise on subsequent performance and physiological responses remain inconclusive. Although hyperoxia promotes arterial O 2 saturation (Nummela et al., ), lessens perceived exertion (Peeling & Andersson, ), and is thought to allow more rapid recovery of phosphocreatine (Stellingwerff et al., ), hyperoxia during recovery from repeated intervals of high‐intensity exercise, including 3 × 3‐min sprints at ~1800‐m altitude (Hauser et al., ) or sea‐level (Zinner et al., ), as well as 5 × 30 s cycling sprints (Sperlich et al., ), did not improve performance. However, breathing pure oxygen during the 6‐min recovery period between 5 × 40 arm strokes on a swim bench improved the peak and mean power outputs during the third, fourth, and fifth intervals (Sperlich et al., ).…”

Hyperoxia and hypoxia influence to adaptive processes at muscular work

“…В развернутых ответах авторы [73] приводят результаты исследований, которые подтверждают, что: а) данные о влиянии гипероксии при восстановлении после высокоинтенсивного упражнения на последующую работоспособность неубедительны [35,57,72,82]; б) даже если имеются изменения в физиологических показателях в результате тренировок в условиях гипероксии, показатели изученной ферментной активности мышц, определяющих работоспособность, не отличаются от таковых при нормоксии, а работоспособность спортсменов не увеличивается [43,59]; в) гипероксия, содействуя артериальной сатурации O 2 [52], уменьшает ощущение возбуждения в интервалах восстановления между повторяющимися высокоинтенсивными и спринтерскими упражнениями как в условиях среднегорья, так и на уровне моря, не улучшает работоспособность [35,72,86].…”