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Effects of high-altitude exposure on supraspinal fatigue and corticospinal excitability and inhibition

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Abstract

Purpose

While acute hypoxic exposure enhances exercise-induced central fatigue and can alter corticospinal excitability and inhibition, the effect of prolonged hypoxic exposure on these parameters remains to be clarified. We hypothesized that 5 days of altitude exposure would (i) normalize exercise-induced supraspinal fatigue during isolated muscle exercise to sea level (SL) values and (ii) increase corticospinal excitability and inhibition.

Methods

Eleven male subjects performed intermittent isometric elbow flexions at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction to task failure at SL and after 1 (D1) and 5 (D5) days at 4350 m. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and peripheral electrical stimulation were used to assess supraspinal and peripheral fatigues. Pre-frontal cortex and biceps brachii oxygenation was monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Results

Exercise duration was not statistically different between SL (1095 ± 562 s), D1 (1132 ± 516 s), and D5 (1440 ± 689 s). No significant differences were found between the three experimental conditions in maximal voluntary activation declines at task failure (SL −16.8 ± 9.5%; D1 −25.5 ± 11.2%; D5 −21.8 ± 7.0%; p > 0.05). Exercise-induced peripheral fatigue was larger at D5 versus SL (100 Hz doublet at task failure: −58.8 ± 16.6 versus −41.8 ± 20.1%; p < 0.05). Corticospinal excitability at 50% maximal voluntary contraction was lower at D5 versus SL (brachioradialis p < 0.05, biceps brachii p = 0.055). Cortical silent periods were shorter at SL versus D1 and D5 (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The present results show similar patterns of supraspinal fatigue development during isometric elbow flexions at SL and after 1 and 5 days at high altitude, despite larger amount of peripheral fatigue at D5, lowered corticospinal excitability and enhanced corticospinal inhibition at altitude.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BB:

Biceps brachii

BR:

Brachioradialis

CSP:

Cortical silent period

D1:

After 1 day of high-altitude exposure

D5:

After 5 days of high-altitude exposure

Db10:

Paired stimulation at 10 Hz

Db100:

Paired stimulation at 100 Hz

Db10:100:

Ratio of Db10 to Db100

EMG:

Electromyography

ERT:

Estimated resting twitch

FiO2 :

Fraction of inspired oxygen

HbO2 :

Oxyhaemoglobin

HbTot:

Total haemoglobin

HHb:

Deoxyhaemoglobin

MEP:

Motor evoked potential

MEP·Mmax−1 :

Motor evoked potential to maximal M-wave ratio

MES:

Muscle electrical stimulation

Mmax:

Maximal M-wave

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

NES:

Nerve electrical stimulation

NIRS:

Near-infrared spectroscopy

PetCO2 :

End-tidal CO2 partial pressure

RPE:

Rate of perceived exertion

SIT:

Superimposed twitch

SL:

Sea level

SpO2 :

Arterial oxygen saturation

TB:

Triceps brachii

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

VAMES :

Voluntary activation assessed by muscle electrical stimulation

VATMS :

Voluntary activation assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the subjects for participating in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U1042, INSERM, Batiment Jean Roget, Faculté de Médecine, La Tronche Cedex, France

    Mathieu Marillier, Thibault Le Roux Mallouf, Thomas Rupp, Guillaume Y. Millet & Samuel Verges

  2. Laboratoire HP2 (U1042 INSERM), Batiment Jean Roget, Faculté de Médecine, UM Sports Pathologies, Hôpital Sud, Grenoble Alpes University, Avenue Kimberley, 38 434, Echirolles, France

    Mathieu Marillier, Thibault Le Roux Mallouf, Thomas Rupp, Guillaume Y. Millet & Samuel Verges

  3. Inter-University Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, University of Lyon, University Saint Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France

    Pierrick J. Arnal & Guillaume Y. Millet

  4. Inter-University Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, University Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry, France

    Thomas Rupp

  5. Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Guillaume Y. Millet

Authors
  1. Mathieu Marillier
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  2. Pierrick J. Arnal
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  3. Thibault Le Roux Mallouf
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  4. Thomas Rupp
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  5. Guillaume Y. Millet
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  6. Samuel Verges
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samuel Verges.

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Grants

This work has been funded by the Rhone-Alpes Region and the Fond de dotation AGIR pour les maladies chroniques.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Communicated by Nicolas Place.

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Marillier, M., Arnal, P.J., Le Roux Mallouf, T. et al. Effects of high-altitude exposure on supraspinal fatigue and corticospinal excitability and inhibition. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 1747–1761 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3669-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3669-y

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