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Thirteen days of “live high–train low” does not affect prooxidant/antioxidant balance in elite swimmers

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Abstract

We investigated the impact of 13 days of “living high–training low” (LHTL) on the antioxidant/prooxidant balance in elite endurance swimmers. Eighteen elite swimmers from the French Swimming Federation were submitted to a 13-day endurance training and divided into two groups: one group trained at 1,200 m and lived in hypoxia (2,500–3,000 m simulated altitude) and the second group trained and lived at 1,200 m. The subjects performed an acute hypoxic test (10 min at 4,800 m) before and 1 day after the training period. Plasma levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), malondialdehydes (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and lipid-soluble antioxidants were measured before and after the 4,800 m tests. After the training, MDA and AOPP responses to the 4,800 m test were lower than before training for both groups (+10 vs. +2%; P = 0.01 for MDA and +80 vs. +14%; P = 0.01 for AOPP). Thirteen days of LHTL did not modify antioxidant status (FRAP and lipid-soluble antioxidants) despite intakes in vitamins A and E below the recommended daily allowances. The LHTL did not affect the antioxidant status in elite swimmers; however, the normoxic endurance training induced preconditioning mechanisms in response to the 4,800 m test.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the subjects for their contribution. We also thank Drs. Glen Foster and Andrew Beaudin for reviewing the manuscript. This study was funded by the “International Olympic Committee”, the “Ministère des sports français” and the “Direction Régionale de la Jeunesse et des Sports de la Région Auvergne”.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie des Activités Physiques et Sportives, Faculté de Médecine, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Vincent Pialoux, Rémi Mounier, Jean Coudert & Nicole Fellmann

  2. Laboratoire « Réponses cellulaires et fonctionnelles à l’hypoxie », EA 2363, A.R.P.E., Université Paris 13, 93017, Bobigny Cedex, France

    Julien V. Brugniaux & Jean-Paul Richalet

  3. Equipe Stress Métabolique et Micronutriments, Unité de Nutrition Humaine UMR 1019, INRA, 63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France

    Edmond Rock & Andrzej Mazur

  4. Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme, BP 24, 74401, Chamonix, France

    Paul Robach

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  1. Vincent Pialoux
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  2. Rémi Mounier
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Correspondence to Vincent Pialoux.

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Pialoux, V., Mounier, R., Brugniaux, J.V. et al. Thirteen days of “live high–train low” does not affect prooxidant/antioxidant balance in elite swimmers. Eur J Appl Physiol 106, 517–524 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1046-1

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