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. 2018 Sep 6;2(4):E98-E104.
doi: 10.1055/a-0655-7207. eCollection 2018 Jul.

The Influence of Oxygen Saturation on the Relationship Between Hemoglobin Mass and VO 2 max

Jesse A Goodrich  1 , Benjamin J Ryan  1 , William C Byrnes  1
Affiliations

The Influence of Oxygen Saturation on the Relationship Between Hemoglobin Mass and VO 2 max

Jesse A Goodrich et al. Sports Med Int Open. .

Abstract

Hemoglobin mass (tHb) is a key determinant of maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max). We examined whether oxyhemoglobin desaturation (ΔS a O 2 ) at VO 2 max modifies the relationship between tHb and VO 2 max at moderate altitude (1,625 m). Seventeen female and 16 male competitive, endurance-trained moderate-altitude residents performed two tHb assessments and two graded exercise tests on a cycle ergometer to determine VO 2 max and ΔS a O 2 . In males and females respectively, VO 2 max (ml·kg -1 ·min -1 ) ranged from 62.5-83.0 and 44.5-67.3; tHb (g·kg -1 ) ranged from 12.1-17.5 and 9.1-13.0; and S a O 2 at VO 2 max (%) ranged from 81.7-94.0 and 85.7-95.0. tHb was related to VO 2 max when expressed in absolute terms and after correcting for body mass (r=0.94 and 0.86, respectively); correcting by ΔS a O 2 did not improve these relationships (r=0.93 and 0.83). Additionally, there was a negative relationship between tHb and S a O 2 at VO 2 max (r=-0.57). In conclusion, across a range of endurance athletes at moderate altitude, the relationship between tHb and VO 2 max was found to be similar to that observed at sea level. However, correcting tHb by ΔS a O 2 did not explain additional variability in VO 2 max despite significant variability in ΔS a O 2 ; this raises the possibility that tHb and exercise-induced ΔS a O 2 are not independent in endurance athletes.

Keywords: altitude; endurance performance; exercise-induced desaturation; hypoxia; oxygen transport.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Relationship between VO 2 max and a absolute total hemoglobin mass (tHb); b total hemoglobin mass adjusted by arterial oxygen saturation during maximal aerobic exercise, without taking into account body mass. No significant difference was found between regressions (p=N.S.).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Relationship between VO 2 max normalized by body mass and a body mass-normalized total hemoglobin mass (tHb); b total hemoglobin mass adjusted by arterial oxygen saturation during maximal aerobic exercise, after normalizing by body mass. No significant difference was found between regressions (p=N.S.).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Relationship between S a O 2 at VO 2 max and total hemoglobin mass (r 2 =0.324, p<0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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