EFFECT OF LIVING IN HYPOXIA AND TRAINING IN NORMOXIA ON SEA LEVEL VO2max AND RED CELL MASS

Abstract

Living at moderate altitude and training at low altitude has been shown to increase sea level maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and red cell mass (RCM). In the present study the effect of living in a simulated normobaric hypoxia and training at sea level was studied in 12 experimental (HILO) and 10 control (LOLO) cross country skiers and triathletes (17 men and 5 women, age 244 yrs, height 1767 cm, body mass 709 kg). HILO athletes lived 12-16 h daily for 25 days in normobaric hypoxia (O2 15.3% ~2500 m) and trained in normoxia at sea level. LOLO athletes lived and trained at sea level. VO2max was measured before (PRE), immediately after (POST1) and one week after (POST7) and RCM before and after the experimental period, and erythropoietin (EPO) before, on days 2, 11, 18 and 25 during, and 4-7 days after the experimental period. ANOVA indicated significant group by time interaction in each variable. On days 2 and 25 EPO was 60% and 14% higher than PRE, respectively, but EPO values were not related to the increase in RCM. We conclude that 25-day acclimatization to living high and training low using simulated atmosphere at sea level increased red cell mass by 5%. Sea level VO2max showed a delayed increase of 3%.