Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar 11;11(3):228.
doi: 10.3390/life11030228.

Pro-Oxidant/Antioxidant Balance during a Prolonged Exposure to Moderate Altitude in Athletes Exhibiting Exercise-Induced Hypoxemia at Sea-Level

Antoine Raberin  1 , Elie Nader  2   3 , Jorge Lopez Ayerbe  4 , Gauthier Alfonsi  2 , Patrick Mucci  5 , Chantal L Rytz  6   7 , Vincent Pialoux  8   9 , Fabienne Durand  1   10
Affiliations

Pro-Oxidant/Antioxidant Balance during a Prolonged Exposure to Moderate Altitude in Athletes Exhibiting Exercise-Induced Hypoxemia at Sea-Level

Antoine Raberin et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

This study examined to what extent athletes exhibiting exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH) possess an altered redox status at rest, in response to exercise at sea level (SL) and during moderate altitude exposure. EIH was defined as a fall in arterial O2 saturation of at least 4% during exercise. Nine endurance athletes with EIH and ten without (NEIH) performed a maximal incremental test under three conditions: SL, one (H1) and five (H2) days after arrival to 2400 m. Gas exchange and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) were continuously monitored. Blood was sampled before exercise and after exercise cessation. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), catalase, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) were measured in plasma by spectrophotometry. EIH athletes had higher AOPP and NOx concentrations at pre- and post-exercise stages compared to NEIH at SL, H2 but not at H1. Only the EIH group experienced increased SOD activity between pre- and post-exercise exercise at SL and H2 but not at H1. EIH athletes had exacerbated oxidative stress compared to the NEIH athletes at SL and H2. These differences were blunted at H1. Oxidative stress did not alter the EIH groups' aerobic performance and could lead to higher minute ventilation at H2. These results suggest that higher oxidative stress response EIH athletes could be involved in improved aerobic muscle functionality and a greater ventilatory acclimatization during prolonged hypoxia.

Keywords: acclimatization; aerobic performance; arterial desaturation; hypoxia; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plasma oxidative stress markers with the main or interaction effect of group exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH) athletes are circles and NEIH athletes are diamonds. SL: sea level; H1: short-term exposure to altitude; H2: prolonged exposure to altitude; AOPP, advanced oxidation protein product; NOx, Nitric oxide metabolites; SOD, Superoxide dismutase. Values are mean ± SEM. p < 0.05 * Different from NEIH, †: different from SL, ‡: different from H1, § different from pre-exercise.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Joanny P., Steinberg J., Robach P., Richalet J.P., Gortan C., Gardette B., Jammes Y. Operation Everest III (Comex’97): The Effect of Simulated Sever Hypobaric Hypoxia on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Defence Systems in Human Blood at Rest and after Maximal Exercise. Resuscitation. 2001;49:307–314. doi: 10.1016/S0300-9572(00)00373-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dosek A., Ohno H., Acs Z., Taylor A.W., Radak Z. High Altitude and Oxidative Stress. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 2007;158:128–131. doi: 10.1016/j.resp.2007.03.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sies H., Jones D.P. Oxydative Stress. Elsevier; Amsterdam, The Netherland: 2007.
    1. Pialoux V., Mounier R., Rock E., Mazur A., Schmitt L., Richalet J.-P., Robach P., Coudert J., Fellmann N. Effects of Acute Hypoxic Exposure on Prooxidant/Antioxidant Balance in Elite Endurance Athletes. Int. J. Sports Med. 2009;30:87–93. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1103284. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Faiss R., Pialoux V., Sartori C., Faes C., Dériaz O., Millet G.P. Ventilation, Oxidative Stress, and Nitric Oxide in Hypobaric versus Normobaric Hypoxia. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2013;45:253–260. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31826d5aa2. - DOI - PubMed