Moi Chow. Respiratory events and periodic breathing in cyclists sleeping at 2,650-m simulated altitude. J Appl Physiol 92: 2114-2118, 2002; 10.1152/japplphysiol.00737. 2001.-We examined the initial effect of sleeping at a simulated moderate altitude of 2,650 m on the frequency of apneas and hypopneas, as well as on the heart rate and blood oxygen saturation from pulse oximetry (Sp O 2 ) during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep of 17 trained cyclists. Pulse oximetry revealed that sleeping at simulated altitude significantly increased heart rate (3 Ϯ 1 beats/min; means Ϯ SE) and decreased Sp O 2 (Ϫ6 Ϯ 1%) compared with baseline data collected near sea level. In response to simulated altitude, 15 of the 17 subjects increased the combined frequency of apneas plus hypopneas from baseline levels. On exposure to simulated altitude, the increase in apnea was significant from baseline for both sleep states (2.0 Ϯ 1.3 events/h for REM, 9.9 Ϯ 6.2 events/h for NREM), but the difference between the two states was not significantly different. Hypopnea frequency was significantly elevated from baseline to simulated altitude exposure in both sleep states, and under hypoxic conditions it was greater in REM than in NREM sleep (7.9 Ϯ 1.8 vs. 4.2 Ϯ 1.3 events/h, respectively). Periodic breathing episodes during sleep were identified in four subjects, making this the first study to show periodic breathing in healthy adults at a level of hypoxia equivalent to 2,650-m altitude. These results indicate that simulated moderate hypoxia of a level typically chosen by coaches and elite athletes for simulated altitude programs can cause substantial respiratory events during sleep. pulse oximetry; apnea; hypopnea RECENT STUDIES ON THE USE of altitude by athletes suggest that the best effect on subsequent physical performances may be gained by sleeping in a moderately hypoxic condition (equivalent to altitudes of ϳ2,200-3,000 m) while training close to sea level (21,22). The response to this "live high, train low" approach varies widely between individuals, with some athletes showing substantial performance gains and others showing no effect or even a negative outcome (7). Athletes spend a substantial amount of time asleep while exposed to the live high, train low stimulus (3), and the respiratory events during their sleep time increase as altitude increases (28). However, substantial differences appear to exist between individuals in both the magnitude of this effect and the altitude of onset (2,8, 39). Although sleep disturbance has been shown to decrease subsequent physical work capacity and increase the self-perception of fatigue (1), no studies have monitored the sleep physiology of athletes undergoing a live high, train low program.Hyperventilation is among the first physiological adjustments to an acute increase in altitude in an attempt to compensate for the reduced PO 2 (10, 30). Episodes of hyperventilation may be separated by intervals of hypopnea or apnea. When respiratory events are cyclic and conta...