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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 91/2/391    most recent expphysiol.2005.031682v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Basset, F. A. Articles by Boulay, M. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Basset, F. A. Articles by Boulay, M. R.

Fabien A. Basset¹, Denis R. Joanisse², Frédéric Boivin², Josée St-Onge², François Billaut³, Jean Doré², Richard Chouinard², Guy Falgairette^3,, Denis Richard⁴ and Marcel R. Boulay²

¹ School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada A1C 5S7² Division de Kinésiologie, Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive⁴ Département d'Anatomie et Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval Québec, QC, Canada G1K 7P4³ Laboratoire Ergonomie Sportive et Performance, UFR STAPS, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, Avenue de l'Université, BP 132 83957, La Garde Cedex, France

This study aimed to determine the impact of short-term normobaric hypoxia on physiology and performance in highly trained athletes. Twelve (7 male and 5 female) athletes were randomly assigned into two groups and spent 8 h per night for two consecutive nights a week over 3 weeks under either short-term normobaric hypoxia (simulating 3636 m altitude, inspired O₂= 13%) or in normobaric normoxia in a single-blind study. Following a 3 week washout period, athletes were then exposed to the other condition. Athletes were tested for maximal oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion on an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer before and after each treatment in addition to being tested for anaerobic performance (Wingate test) on a modified Monark cycle ergometer. Blood samples were taken throughout the experiment and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were taken before and after each treatment. Increases in red blood cell count, haematocrit, haemoglobin, platelet number and erythropoietin concentration were observed following short-term normobaric hypoxia. Except for a modest decrease in phosphofructokinase activity following short-term normobaric hypoxia, no changes were observed in muscle enzyme activities, buffer capacity, capillary density or morphology. No performance measures were changed following short-term normobaric hypoxia or normobaric normoxia. Although short-term normobaric hypoxia exposure increased levels of a number of haematological parameters, this was not associated with improved aerobic or anaerobic performance in highly trained athletes.

(Received 27 July 2005; accepted after revision 16 November 2005; first published online 18 November 2005)
Corresponding author F. A. Basset: School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada A1C 5S7. Email: fbasset{at}mun.ca