The fatigue-induced alteration in postural control is larger in hypobaric than in normobaric hypoxia

Abstract

www.nature.com/scientificreports www.nature.com/scientificreports/ cardio-ventilatory responses. For all three conditions, HR increase and was significantly higher at POST compare to PRE without interaction between the conditions HH, NH and NN (Table 2). Inversely for SpO 2 no time effect was found, but a significant difference (lower values) for HH vs. NN (p < 0.001) and NH vs. NN (p < 0.001) were observed at PRE and POST. BF in HH was significantly higher to NH and NN (p < 0.001) only at PRE. Scientific RepoRtS |(2020) 10:483 | https://doi.

Acute Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia Impairs Balance Performance in Sub-elite but Not Elite Basketball Players

“…In this study, normobaric hypoxia detrimentally affected the balance (~7%), when subjects were exposed to a simulated altitude of ~3,800 m. This is in line with previous studies that have demonstrated elements of impaired balance, such as postural stability (Cymerman et al, 2001 ; Degache et al, 2020 ) and body sway (Nordahl et al, 1998 ; Wagner et al, 2011 ) in simulated altitude (2,400 m to 5,500 m) vs. normoxia, with exposure durations of a few minutes to 24 h in non-athletic populations. However, this study corroborates and extends these findings by revealing detrimental effects of HYP on balance even in highly trained basketball players who engage in activities demanding high levels of balance.…”

“…As a result, reduced activation of the muscles encompassing the joints (e.g., the ankles and knees) may inherently prevent unwanted and uncontrollable joint oscillations when performing the SLBT (Keller et al, 2012 ). Additionally, considering that vision is one of the first senses to be affected by acute hypoxia (Nordahl et al, 1998 ; Degache et al, 2020 ) and that the SLBT was performed with open eyes, the elite group may have been able to compensate for reduced vision capacity through greater contributions from vestibular and proprioceptive sensory information (Paillard et al, 2002 , 2011 ; Pojskic et al, 2020 ). In brief, it is well-documented that the role of the visual system on balance performance decreases with higher playing level in athletes (Paillard and Noé, 2006 ; Paillard et al, 2006 ).…”

“…It has been well-documented that exposure to moderate and high altitude detrimentally affects various aspects of physical performance in team sports, including repeated sprint ability, running endurance, distance covered, and number of high-intensity sprints during matches (Hamlin et al, 2008 ; Valenzuela et al, 2019 ). Moreover, it is well-known that postural control and balance are altered during hypoxic exposure (Degache et al, 2020 ).…”

“…However, the majority of studies exploring the effect of hypoxia on balance have been conducted on aircraft crew members, mountaineers, or healthy active subjects in field-based and laboratory-based settings (Nordahl et al, 1998 ; Degache et al, 2020 ). Negative effects of hypobaric hypoxia on balance ability and postural control have been demonstrated in these populations at high altitudes (>3,500 m) (Stadelmann et al, 2015 ; Bruyneel et al, 2017 ) and in normobaric hypoxia (Nordahl et al, 1998 ; Cymerman et al, 2001 ; Wagner et al, 2011 ; Drum et al, 2016 ).…”

“…Although it is well-known that balance is more altered in hypobaric than normobaric hypoxia (~1,700–3,000 m above sea level) (Degache et al, 2020 ), it is also of practical interest to investigate whether exposure to normobaric hypoxia at a simulated altitude of ~3,800 m above sea level would negatively affect balance in well-trained team-sport athletes. In other words, it might reveal a potential adaptation stimulus that could be included in balance training and facilitated by high-altitude chambers.…”