A1 Journal article (refereed)
Combined intermittent hypoxic exposure at rest and continuous hypoxic training can maintain elevated hemoglobin mass after a hypoxic camp (2024)

Peltonen, J. E., Leppävuori, A., Lehtonen, E., Mikkonen, R. S., Kettunen, O., Nummela, A., Ohtonen, O., Gagnon, D. D., Wehrlin, J. P., Wilber, R. L., & Linnamo, V. (2024). Combined intermittent hypoxic exposure at rest and continuous hypoxic training can maintain elevated hemoglobin mass after a hypoxic camp. Journal of Applied Physiology, 137(2), 409-420. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00017.2024

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Peltonen, Juha E.; Leppävuori, Antti; Lehtonen, Elias; Mikkonen, Ritva S.; Kettunen, Oona; Nummela, Ari; Ohtonen, Olli; Gagnon, Dominique D.; Wehrlin, Jon P.; Wilber, Randall L.; et al.

Journal or series: Journal of Applied Physiology

ISSN: 8750-7587

eISSN: 1522-1601

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 04/07/2024

Volume: 137

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 409-420

Publisher: American Physiological Society

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00017.2024

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/96530

Abstract

Athletes use hypoxic living and training to increase hemoglobin mass (Hbmass), but Hbmass declines rapidly upon return to sea level. We investigated whether Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure (IHE) + Continuous Hypoxic Training (CHT) after return to sea level maintained elevated Hbmass, and if changes in Hbmass were transferred to changes in maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) and exercise performance. Hbmass was measured in 58 endurance athletes before (PRE), after (POST1), and 30 days after (POST2) a 27 ± 4-day training camp in hypoxia (n=44, HYP) or at sea level (n=14, SL). After return to sea level, 22 athletes included IHE (2 h rest) + CHT (1 h training) into their training every third day for one month (HYPIHE+CHT), whereas the other 22 HYP athletes were not exposed to IHE or CHT (HYPSL). Hbmass increased from PRE to POST1 in both HYPIHE+CHT (4.4 ± 0.7%, mean ± SEM) and HYPSL (4.1 ± 0.6%) (both p<0.001). Compared to PRE, Hbmass at POST2 remained 4.2 ± 0.8% higher in HYPIHE+CHT (p<0.001) and1.9 ± 0.5% higher in HYPSL (p=0.023), indicating a significant difference between the groups (p=0.002). In SL, no significant changes were observed in Hbmass with mean alterations between -0.5% and 0.4%. V̇O2max and time to exhaustion during an incremental treadmill test (n=35) were elevated from PRE to POST2 only in HYPIHE+CHT (5.8 ± 1.2% and 5.4 ± 1.4%, respectively, both p<0.001). IHE+CHT possesses the potential to mitigate the typical decline in Hbmass commonly observed during the initial weeks after return to sea level.

Keywords: athletes; endurance training; altitude training; physiological effects; erythropoietin; hemoglobin

Free keywords: altitude training; endurance training; erythropoietin

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2024

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2