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Impact of intermittent hypoxia and exercise on blood pressure and metabolic features from obese subjects suffering sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

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Abstract

Strategies designed to reduce adiposity and cardiovascular-accompanying manifestations have been based on nutritional interventions conjointly with physical activity programs. The aim of this 13-week study was to investigate the putative benefits associated to hypoxia plus exercise on weight loss and relevant metabolic and cardiorespiratory variables, when prescribed to obese subjects with sleep apnea syndrome following dietary advice. The participants were randomly distributed in the following three groups: control, normoxia, and hypoxia. All the subjects received dietary advice while, additionally, normoxia group was trained under normal oxygen concentration and Hypoxia group under hypoxic conditions. There was a statistically significant decrease in fat-free mass (Kg) and water (%) on the control compared to normoxia group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference decreased in all the groups after the study. Moreover, leukocyte count was increased after the intervention in hypoxia compared to control group (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant variations within groups in other variables, although changes in appetite were found after the 13-week period. In addition, associations between the variations in the leukocyte count and fat mass have been found. The hypoxia group showed some specific benefits concerning appetite and cardiometabolic-related measurements as exertion time and diastolic blood pressure, with a therapeutical potential.

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Acknowledgments

Research relating to this work was funded by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO EXPLORA) [SAF2010-11630-E], Carlos III Health Institute Centre of Biomedical Research Network: CIBERobn Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, CIBERes Respiratory diseases, Línea Especial, Nutrición y Obesidad (University of Navarra). Amaya Lopez-Pascual is fully acknowledged for the fellowships to Asociación de Amigos de la Universidad de Navarra (ADA) and the FPU from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECD). We thank all the participants in the trial and the Basque Biobank For Research-OEHUN for their collaboration.

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The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Centre for Nutrition Research/Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

      P. González-Muniesa, A. Lopez-Pascual & J. A. Martinez

    2. CIBERobn Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Centre of Biomedical Research Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain

      P. González-Muniesa, A. Lasa, M. P. Portillo, F. Arós & J. A. Martinez

    3. IDISNA, Navarra’s Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain

      P. González-Muniesa & J. A. Martinez

    4. Sleep Disorders Unit, Hospital Txagorritxu, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Álava, Spain

      J. de Andrés, J. Durán & C. J. Egea

    5. Nutrition and Obesity Group/Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of the Basque Country and Lucio Lascaray Research Center, Vitoria, Spain

      A. Lasa & M. P. Portillo

    6. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Alava, Vitoria, Spain

      F. Arós

    7. CIBERes Respiratory Diseases, Centre of Biomedical Research Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain

      J. Durán & C. J. Egea

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    1. P. González-Muniesa
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    Correspondence to J. A. Martinez.

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    P. González-Muniesa, A. Lopez-Pascual and J. de Andrés contributed equally to this work.

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    González-Muniesa, P., Lopez-Pascual, A., de Andrés, J. et al. Impact of intermittent hypoxia and exercise on blood pressure and metabolic features from obese subjects suffering sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. J Physiol Biochem 71, 589–599 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-015-0410-3

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