Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

Open Access 01-05-2019 | Hypoxemia | Original Article

The effect of severe and moderate hypoxia on exercise at a fixed level of perceived exertion

Authors: Owen Jeffries, Stephen David Patterson, Mark Waldron

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 5/2019

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the primary cues regulating perceived effort and exercise performance using a fixed-RPE protocol in severe and moderate hypoxia.

Methods

Eight male participants (26 ± 6 years, 76.3 ± 8.6 kg, 178.5 ± 3.6 cm, 51.4 ± 8.0 mL kg^− 1 min^− 1\(\dot {V}\)O_2max) completed three exercise trials in environmental conditions of severe hypoxia (F_IO₂ 0.114), moderate hypoxia (F_IO₂ 0.152), and normoxia (F_IO₂ 0.202). They were instructed to continually adjust their power output to maintain a perceived effort (RPE) of 16, exercising until power output declined to 80% of the peak 30-s power output achieved.

Results

Exercise time was reduced (severe hypoxia 428 ± 210 s; moderate hypoxia 1044 ± 384 s; normoxia 1550 ± 590 s) according to a reduction in F_IO₂ (P < 0.05). The rate of oxygen desaturation during the first 3 min of exercise was accelerated in severe hypoxia (− 5.3 ± 2.8% min^− 1) relative to moderate hypoxia (− 2.5 ± 1.0% min^− 1) and normoxia (− 0.7 ± 0.3% min^− 1). Muscle tissue oxygenation did not differ between conditions (P > 0.05). Minute ventilation increased at a faster rate according to a decrease in F_IO₂ (severe hypoxia 27.6 ± 6.6; moderate hypoxia 21.8 ± 3.9; normoxia 17.3 ± 3.9 L min^− 1). Moderate-to-strong correlations were identified between breathing frequency (r = − 0.718, P < 0.001), blood oxygen saturation (r = 0.611, P = 0.002), and exercise performance.

Conclusions

The primary cues for determining perceived effort relate to progressive arterial hypoxemia and increases in ventilation.

Amann M, Calbet JAL (2008) Convective oxygen transport and fatigue. J Appl Physiol 104:861–870CrossRefPubMed

Amann M, Eldridge MW, Lovering AT et al (2006a) Arterial oxygenation influences central motor output and exercise performance via effects on peripheral locomotor muscle fatigue in humans. J Physiol 575:937–952CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Amann MM, Romer LMLM, Pegelow DFDF et al (2006b) Effects of arterial oxygen content on peripheral locomotor muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 101:119–127. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01596.2005 CrossRefPubMed

Amann M, Romer LM, Subudhi AW et al (2007) Severity of arterial hypoxaemia affects the relative contributions of peripheral muscle fatigue to exercise performance in healthy humans. J Physiol 581:389–403CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

American College of Sports Medicine (2000) ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription, 6th edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, ‎Philadelphia

Borg GA (1982) Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:377–381. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012 CrossRefPubMed

Brick NE, MacIntyre TE, Campbell MJ (2016) Thinking and action: a cognitive perspective on self-regulation during endurance performance. Front Physiol 7:159. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00159 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Brocherie F, Millet GP, Girard O (2017) Psychophysiological responses to repeated-sprint training in normobaric hypoxia and normoxia. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 12:115–123. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2016-0052 CrossRefPubMed

Cafarelli E, Noble BJ (1976) The effect of inspired carbon dioxide on subjective estimates of exertion during exercise. Ergonomics 19:581–589. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140137608936944 CrossRefPubMed

Calbet JA, Boushel R, Rådegran G et al (2003a) Determinants of maximal oxygen uptake in severe acute hypoxia. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 284:291–303. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00155.2002 CrossRef

Calbet JAL, De Paz JA, Garatachea N et al (2003b) Anaerobic energy provision does not limit Wingate exercise performance in endurance-trained cyclists. J Appl Physiol 94:668–676. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00128.2002 CrossRefPubMed

Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences, 2nd edn. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New York

Curtelin D, Morales-Alamo D, Torres-Peralta R et al (2018) Cerebral blood flow, frontal lobe oxygenation and intra-arterial blood pressure during sprint exercise in normoxia and severe acute hypoxia in humans. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 38:136–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X17691986 CrossRefPubMed

Farra SD, Cheung SS, Thomas SG, Jacobs I (2017) Rate dependent influence of arterial desaturation on self-selected exercise intensity during cycling. PLoS One 12:e0171119. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171119 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Ferrari M, Mottola L, Quaresima V (2004) Principles, techniques, and limitations of near infrared spectroscopy. Can J Appl Physiol 29(4):463–487CrossRefPubMed

Fortune JB, Bock D, Kupinski AM et al (1992) Human cerebrovascular response to oxygen and carbon dioxide as determined by internal carotid artery duplex scanning. J Trauma 32:618CrossRefPubMed

Fulco CS, Lewis SF, Frykman PN et al (1996) Muscle fatigue and exhaustion during dynamic leg exercise in normoxia and hypobaric hypoxia. J Appl Physiol 81:1891–1900CrossRefPubMed

Fulco CS, Rock PB, Cymerman A (1998) Maximal and submaximal exercise performance at altitude. Aviat Sp Environ Med 69:793–801

Gandevia SC (2001) Spinal and supraspinal factors in human muscle fatigue. Physiol Rev 81:1725–1789CrossRefPubMed

Gonzalez-Alonso J, Dalsgaard MK, Osada T et al (2004) Brain and central haemodynamics and oxygenation during maximal exercise in humans. J Physiol 557:331–342. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2004.060574 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Goodall S, González-Alonso J, Ali L et al (2012) Supraspinal fatigue after normoxic and hypoxic exercise in humans. J Physiol 590:2767–2782. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2012.228890 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hampson DB, St Clair Gibson A, Lambert MI, Noakes TD (2001) The influence of sensory cues on the perception of exertion during exercise and central regulation of exercise performance. Sport Med 31:935–952. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200131130-00004 CrossRef

Hogan MC, Richardson RS, Haseler LJ et al (1999) Human muscle performance and PCr hydrolysis with varied inspired oxygen fractions: a 31P-MRS study. J Appl Physiol 86:1367–1373CrossRefPubMed

Ide K, Eliasziw M, Poulin MJ (2003) Relationship between middle cerebral artery blood velocity and end-tidal PCO2 in the hypocapnic-hypercapnic range in humans. J Appl Physiol 95:129–137. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01186.2002 CrossRefPubMed

Jensen JB, Sperling B, Severinghaus JW, Lassen NA (1996) Augmented hypoxic cerebral vasodilation in men during 5 days at 3,810 m altitude. J Appl Physiol 80:1214–1218CrossRefPubMed

Kaufman MP, Forster HV (1996) Reflexes controlling circulatory, ventilatory and airway responses to exercise. Handbook of physiology, exercise: regulation and integration of multiple systems, 29th edn. Oxford University Press, New York

Killian KJ (1998) Sense of effort and dyspnoea. Monaldi Arch chest Dis Arch Monaldi per le Mal del torace 53:654–660

McMorris T, Hale BJ, Barwood M et al (2017) Effect of acute hypoxia on cognition: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 74:225–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.019 CrossRefPubMed

Millet GY, Muthalib M, Jubeau M et al (2012) Severe hypoxia affects exercise performance independently of afferent feedback and peripheral fatigue. J Appl Physiol 112:1335–1344. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00804.2011 CrossRefPubMed

Morgan WP (1994) Psychological components of effort sense. Med Sci Sports Exerc 26:1071–1077CrossRefPubMed

Nattie E, Li A (2009) Central chemoreception is a complex system function that involves multiple brain stem sites. J Appl Physiol 106:1464–1466. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00112.2008 CrossRefPubMed

Neubauer JA, Melton JE, Edelman NH (1990) Modulation of respiration during brain hypoxia. J Appl Physiol 68:441–451. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1990.68.2.441 CrossRefPubMed

Nicolo A, Marcora SM, Sacchetti M (2016) Respiratory frequency is strongly associated with perceived exertion during time trials of different duration. J Sports Sci 34:1199–1206. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2015.1102315 CrossRefPubMed

Niedermeier M, Weisleitner A, Lamm C et al (2017) Is decision making in hypoxia affected by pre-acclimatisation? A randomized controlled trial. Physiol Behav 173:236–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.018 CrossRefPubMed

Noakes T (2004) Linear relationship between the perception of effort and the duration of constant load exercise that remains. J Appl Physiol 96:1571–1572. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01124.2003 1572–1573.CrossRefPubMed

Poulin MJ, Fatemian M, Tansley JG et al (2002) Changes in cerebral blood flow during and after 48 h of both isocapnic and poikilocapnic hypoxia in humans. Exp Physiol 87:633–642CrossRefPubMed

Ringelstein EB, Van Eyck S, Mertens I (1992) Evaluation of cerebral vasomotor reactivity by various vasodilating stimuli: comparison of CO2 to acetazolamide. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 12:162–168. https://doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.1992.20 CrossRefPubMed

Robertson RJ (1982) Central signals of perceived exertion during dynamic exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:390–396PubMed

Romer LM, Haverkamp HC, Lovering AT et al (2006) Evidence of neuromuscular fatigue after prolonged cycling exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 290:365–375. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00332.2005 CrossRef

Romer LM, Haverkamp HC, Amann M et al (2007) Effect of acute severe hypoxia on peripheral fatigue and endurance capacity in healthy humans. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 292:R598–R606. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00269.2006 CrossRefPubMed

St Clair Gibson A, Lambert EV, Rauch LHG et al (2006) The role of information processing between the brain and peripheral physiological systems in pacing and perception of effort. Sports Med 36:705–722CrossRefPubMed

Subudhi AW, Dimmen AC, Roach RC (2007) Effects of acute hypoxia on cerebral and muscle oxygenation during incremental exercise. J Appl Physiol 103:177–183. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01460.2006 CrossRefPubMed

Subudhi AW, Miramon BR, Granger ME, Roach RC (2009) Frontal and motor cortex oxygenation during maximal exercise in normoxia and hypoxia. J Appl Physiol 106:1153–1158CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Tipton MJ, Harper A, Paton JFR, Costello JT (2017) The human ventilatory response to stress: rate or depth? J Physiol 595:5729–5752. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP274596 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Torres-Peralta R, Losa-Reyna J, Morales-Alamo D et al (2016) Increased PIO2 at exhaustion in hypoxia enhances muscle activation and swiftly relieves fatigue: a placebo or a PIO2 dependent effect? Front Physiol 7:333. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00333 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Tucker R (2009) The anticipatory regulation of performance: the physiological basis for pacing strategies and the development of a perception-based model for exercise performance. Br J Sports Med 43:392–400. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.050799 CrossRefPubMed

Tucker R, Marle T, Lambert EV, Noakes TD (2006) The rate of heat storage mediates an anticipatory reduction in exercise intensity during cycling at a fixed rating of perceived exertion. J Physiol 574:905–915. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2005.101733 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Urbaniak GC, Plous S (2015) Research randomizer (version 4.0) [computer software]. http://www.randomizer.org/

Venhorst A, Micklewright D, Noakes TD (2018) Towards a three-dimensional framework of centrally regulated and goal-directed exercise behaviour: a narrative review. Br J Sports Med 52:957–966. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096907 CrossRefPubMed

Vogiatzis I, Louvaris Z, Habazettl H et al (2011) Frontal cerebral cortex blood flow, oxygen delivery and oxygenation during normoxic and hypoxic exercise in athletes. J Physiol 589:4027–4039. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.210880 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Vovk A, Cunningham DA, Kowalchuk JM et al (2002) Cerebral blood flow responses to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide in humans. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 80:819–827CrossRefPubMed

Title: The effect of severe and moderate hypoxia on exercise at a fixed level of perceived exertion
Authors: Owen Jeffries
Stephen David Patterson
Mark Waldron
Publication date: 01-05-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword: Hypoxemia
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04111-y

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

The effect of severe and moderate hypoxia on exercise at a fixed level of perceived exertion

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2019

Effects of chronic beetroot juice supplementation on maximum oxygen uptake, velocity associated with maximum oxygen uptake, and peak velocity in recreational runners: a double-blinded, randomized and crossover study

Efficacy of a new strength training design: the 3/7 method

Liver and muscle glycogen oxidation and performance with dose variation of glucose–fructose ingestion during prolonged (3 h) exercise

The effects of local muscle temperature on force variability

High-intensity interval exercise promotes post-exercise hypotension of greater magnitude compared to moderate-intensity continuous exercise

The effects of aging on the distribution of cerebral blood flow with postural changes and mild hyperthermia