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Hypoxic ventilatory response is correlated with increased submaximal exercise ventilation after live high, train low

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Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that live high, train low (LHTL) would increase submaximal exercise ventilation (V̇E) in normoxia, and the increase would be related to enhanced hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR). Thirty-three cyclists/triathletes were divided into three groups: 20 consecutive nights of hypoxia (LHTLc, n=12), 20 nights of intermittent hypoxia (4×5-night ‘blocks’ of hypoxia interspersed by two nights of normoxia, LHTLi, n=10), or control (CON, n=11). LHTLc and LHTLi slept 8–10 h per night in normobaric hypoxia (2,650 m), and CON slept under ambient conditions (600 m). Resting, isocapnic HVR (ΔV̇E/Δblood oxygen saturation) was measured in normoxia before (PRE) and after 15 nights (N15) hypoxia. Submaximal cycle ergometry was conducted PRE and after 4, 10, and 19 nights of hypoxia (N4, N10, and N19 respectively). Mean submaximal exercise V̇E was increased (P<0.05) from PRE to N4 in LHTLc [74.4 (5.1) vs 80.0 (8.4) l min−1; mean (SD)] and in LHTLi [69.0 (7.5) vs 76.9 (7.3) l min−1] and remained elevated in both groups thereafter, with no changes observed in CON at any time. Prior to LHTL, submaximal V̇E was not correlated with HVR, but this relationship was significant at N4 (r=0.49, P=0.03) and N19 (r=0.77, P<0.0001). Additionally, the increases in submaximal V̇E and HVR from PRE to N15–N19 were correlated (r=0.51, P=0.02) for the pooled data of LHTLc and LHTLi. These results suggest that enhanced hypoxic chemosensitivity contributes to increased exercise V̇E in normoxia following LHTL.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of BOC Gases Australia for supply of resources, equipment, and technical assistance, Mr. Colin Mackintosh for software development and support, and Mr. Rob Shugg and Mr. Evan Lawton for technical assistance. This study was funded by an Australian Research Council grant (no. C00002552).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia

    Nathan E. Townsend, Tahnee A. Kinsman & Chin-Moi Chow

  2. Department of Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport, ACT 2617, Canberra, Australia

    Nathan E. Townsend, Christopher J. Gore, Allan G. Hahn & Tahnee A. Kinsman

  3. Exercise Metabolism Group, School of Medical Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

    Sally A. Clark & John A. Hawley

  4. Muscle, Ions and Exercise Group, School of Human Movement, Recreation and Performance, Centre for Aging, Rehabilitation and Exercise Science, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

    Robert J. Aughey & Michael J. McKenna

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  1. Nathan E. Townsend
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  2. Christopher J. Gore
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  3. Allan G. Hahn
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  4. Robert J. Aughey
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  9. Chin-Moi Chow
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Correspondence to Nathan E. Townsend.

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Townsend, N.E., Gore, C.J., Hahn, A.G. et al. Hypoxic ventilatory response is correlated with increased submaximal exercise ventilation after live high, train low. Eur J Appl Physiol 94, 207–215 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-004-1252-9

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