Abstract
Hepcidin is a novel factor for iron deficiency in athletes, which is suggested to be regulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) or erythropoietin (EPO).
Purpose
The purpose of the present study was to compare endurance exercise-induced hepcidin elevation among “normoxia”, “hypoxia” and “combined heat and hypoxia”.
Methods
Twelve males (21.5 ± 0.3 years, 168.1 ± 1.2 cm, 63.6 ± 2.0 kg) participated in the present study. They performed 60 min of cycling at 60% of \({\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{2{\text{max}}}\) in either “heat and hypoxia” (HHYP; FiO2 14.5%, 32 °C), “hypoxia” (HYP; FiO2 14.5%, 23 °C) or “normoxia” (NOR; FiO2 20.9%, 23 °C). After completing the exercise, participants remained in the prescribed conditions for 3 h post-exercise. Blood samples were collected before, immediately and 3 h after exercise.
Results
Plasma IL-6 level significantly increased immediately after exercise (P < 0.05), with no significant difference among the trials. A significant elevation in serum EPO was observed 3 h after exercise in hypoxic trials (HHYP and HYP, P < 0.05), with no significant difference between HHYP and HYP. Serum hepcidin level increased 3 h after exercise in all trials (NOR, before 18.3 ± 3.9 and post180 31.2 ± 6.3 ng/mL; HYP, before 13.5 ± 2.5 and post180 23.3 ± 3.6 ng/mL, HHYP; before 15.8 ± 3.3 and post180 31.4 ± 5.3 ng/mL, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference among the trials during post-exercise.
Conclusion
Endurance exercise in “combined heat and hypoxia” did not exacerbate exercise-induced hepcidin elevation compared with the same exercise in “hypoxia” or “normoxia”.
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Abbreviations
- IL-6:
-
Interleukin-6
- EPO:
-
Erythropoietin
- ERFE:
-
Erythroferrone
- LHTL:
-
Live high train low
- \({\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{2{\text{max}}}\) :
-
Maximal oxygen uptake
- RER:
-
Respiratory exchange ratio
- EE:
-
Energy expenditure
- SpO2 :
-
Percutaneous oxygen saturation
- SE:
-
Standard error
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- ELISA:
-
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- Hb:
-
Hemoglobin
- Ht:
-
Hematocrit
- PV:
-
Plasma volume
- \({\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{E}}\) :
-
Minute ventilation
- \({\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{2}\) :
-
Oxygen uptake
- \({\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{CO}}_{2}\) :
-
Carbon dioxide output
- NOR:
-
Endurance exercise in normoxic trial
- HYP:
-
Endurance exercise in hypoxic trial
- HHYP:
-
Endurance exercise in combined heat and hypoxic trial
- FiO2 :
-
Fraction of inspired oxygen
- HIF:
-
Hypoxic inducible transcription factors
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Acknowledgements
We would like to appreciate all participants who completed experimental trials. We also thank the laboratory members for the grateful technical support.
Funding
The present study was funded by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
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NH, HY, HM and HI conducted the experiments and analyzed the data. Data interpretation and manuscript preparation were undertaken by NH, CB and KG. All authors approved the final manuscript.
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Hayashi, N., Yatsutani, H., Mori, H. et al. No effect of supplemented heat stress during an acute endurance exercise session in hypoxia on hepcidin regulation. Eur J Appl Physiol 120, 1331–1340 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04365-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04365-x