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Effects of exercise and training in hypoxia on antioxidant/pro-oxidant balance

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1345–1354 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The aim was to investigate the effects of acute exercise under hypoxic condition and the repetition of such exercise in a ‘living low-training high’ training on the antioxidant/prooxidant balance.

Design:

Randomized, repeated measures design.

Setting:

Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Subjects:

Fourteen runners were randomly divided into two groups. A 6-week endurance training protocol integrated two running sessions per week at the second ventilatory threshold into the usual training.

Intervention:

A 6-week endurance training protocol integrated two running sessions per week at the second ventilatory threshold into the usual training. The first hypoxic group (HG, n=8) carried out these sessions under hypoxia (3000 m simulated altitude) and the second normoxic group (NG, n=6) in normoxia. In control period, the runners were submitted to two incremental cycling tests performed in normoxia and under hypoxia (simulated altitude of 3000 m). Plasma levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), malondialdehydes (MDA) and lipid oxidizability, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), lipid-soluble antioxidants (α-tocopherol and β-carotene) normalized for triacyglycerols and cholesterol were measured before and after the two incremental tests and at rest before and after training.

Results:

No significant changes of MDA and AOPP level were observed after normoxic exercise, whereas hypoxic exercise induced a 56% rise of MDA and a 44% rise of AOPP. Plasma level of MDA and arterial oxygen hemoglobin desaturations after the acute both exercises were highly correlated (r=0.73). α-Tocopherol normalized for cholesterol and triacyglycerols increased only after hypoxic exercise (10–12%, P<0.01). After training, FRAP resting values (−21%, P<0.05) and α-tocopherol/triacyglycerols ratio (−24%, P<0.05) were diminished for HG, whereas NG values remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

Intense exercise and hypoxia exposure may have a cumulative effect on oxidative stress. As a consequence, the repetition of such exercise characterizing the ‘living low-training high’ model has weakened the antioxidant capacities of the athletes.

Sponsorship:

International Olympic Committee and the Direction Régionale de la Jeunesse et des Sports de la Région Auvergne.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the subjects for their contribution. We also thank Eric Clottes for reviewing the manuscript and Clark Ellice and English review of the manuscript.

This study was funded by the ‘International Olympic Committee’ and the ‘Direction Régionale de la Jeunesse et des Sports de la Région Auvergne’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie des Activités Physiques et Sportives, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    V Pialoux, R Mounier, J Coudert & N Fellmann

  2. Service de Physiologie Clinique et des Explorations Fonctionnelles et Respiratoires et de l'Exercice, Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France

    E Ponsot, S Dufour & R Richard

  3. Unité Maladies Métaboliques et Micronutriments, INRA Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, Saint-Genès Champanelle, France

    E Rock & A Mazur

  4. ARPE, Laboratoire ‘Réponses cellulaires et fonctionnelles à l'hypoxie’, Université Paris XIII, Bobigny, France

    J-P Richalet

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  1. V Pialoux
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Correspondence to V Pialoux.

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Pialoux, V., Mounier, R., Ponsot, E. et al. Effects of exercise and training in hypoxia on antioxidant/pro-oxidant balance. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1345–1354 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602462

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602462

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