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Pre-acclimation to altitude in young adults: choosing a hypoxic pattern at sea level which provokes significant haematological adaptations

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This single-blind, repeated measures study evaluated adaptive and maladaptive responses to continuous and intermittent hypoxic patterns in young adults.

Methods

Changes in haematological profile, stress and cardiac damage were measured in ten healthy young participants during three phases: (1) breathing normoxic air (baseline); (2) breathing normoxic air via a mask (Sham-controls); (3) breathing intermittent hypoxia (IH) via a mask, mean peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) of 85% ~ 70 min of hypoxia. After a 5-month washout period, participants repeated this three-phase protocol with phase, (4) consisting of continuous hypoxia (CH), mean SpO2 = 85%, ~ 70 min of hypoxia. Measures of the red blood cell count (RBCc), haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), haematocrit (Hct), percentage of reticulocytes (% Retics), secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), cortisol, cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and the erythropoietic stimulation index (calculated OFF-score) were compared across treatments.

Results

Despite identical hypoxic durations at the same fixed SpO2, no significant effects were observed in either CH or Sham-CH control, compared to baseline. While IH and Sham-IH controls demonstrated significant increases in: RBCc; [Hb]; Hct; and the erythropoietic stimulation index. Notably, the % Retics decreased significantly in response to IH (-31.9%) or Sham-IH control (-23.6%), highlighting the importance of including Sham-controls. No difference was observed in S-IgA, cortisol or cTnT.

Conclusion

The IH but not CH pattern significantly increased key adaptive haematological responses, without maladaptive increases in S-IgA, cortisol or cTnT, indicating that the IH hypoxic pattern would be the best method to boost haematological profiles prior to ascent to altitude.

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Abbreviations

% Retics :

Percentage of reticulocytes

CH :

Continuous hypoxia

cTnT :

Cardiac troponin T

EPO :

Erythropoietin

FiO 2 :

Fraction of inspired oxygen

Hct :

Haematocrit

[Hb] :

Haemoglobin concentration

HIF :

Hypoxia inducible factors

IH :

Intermittent hypoxia

OFF-score :

Erythropoietic stimulation index

PiO 2 :

Inspired oxygen partial pressure

RBC c :

Red blood cell count

S-IgA :

Secretory immunoglobulin A

SpO 2 :

Peripheral oxygen saturation

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Biomedtech Australia Pty. Ltd., the Heart Foundation Research Centre Griffith University and the Griffith Health Institute for generously supporting this independent investigation. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to borrow hypoxicators from Oleg Bassovitch, GO2Altitude®. We are grateful to the participants for their enthusiastic involvement in this study, to Taryn Mann for quantifying troponin T and to Dr. Mike Steele for statistical advice as well as to Dr. Glenn Harrison for insightful comments on early drafts of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hypoxia and Ischemia Research Unit, School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia

    Barbara Tobin & Gillian M. C. Renshaw

  2. APERE Laboratory, EA 3300, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France

    Guillaume Costalat

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  1. Barbara Tobin
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  2. Guillaume Costalat
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Correspondence to Gillian M. C. Renshaw.

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The authors declare that there was no conflict of interest and that the results of the present study do not constitute endorsement of any specific brand of equipment for hypoxia delivery.

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Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

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Tobin, B., Costalat, G. & Renshaw, G.M.C. Pre-acclimation to altitude in young adults: choosing a hypoxic pattern at sea level which provokes significant haematological adaptations. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 395–407 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04837-8

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