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rHuEpo treatment increases exercise performance exclusively by increasing Hb mass
Author(s) -
Lundby Carsten,
Robach Paul,
Rasmussen Peter,
Boushel Robert,
Calbet Jose AL
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.957.25
Subject(s) - erythropoietin , medicine , vo2 max , blood viscosity , hemoglobin , anesthesia , blood pressure , heart rate
This study was performed to test the hypothesis that administration with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) increases exercise performance by augmenting maximal oxygen transport. For this purpose eight subjects were hemodiluted isovolumic following 13 weeks of rHuEpo treatment. Oxygen delivery was increased at maximal exercise from 1777.0 ± 102.0 before rHuEpo treatment to 2079.8 ± 120.7 ml.min −1 after treatment. Following hemodilution oxygen delivery was decreased to the pre value (1710.3 ± 138.1 ml.min −1 ). The a‐vO 2 difference was increased following rHuEpo treatment at maximal exercise, the values being 166.4 ± 8.0 ml before treatment, 182.2 ± 6.7 after rHuEpo administration, and then decreased to 161.7 ml after hemodilution. At maximal exercise intensity leg VO 2 increased from 1511.0 ± 130.1 ml.min −1 before treatment to 1793.0 ± 148.7 ml.min −1 with rHuEpo, and decreased after hemodilution to 1428.0 ± 111.6 ml.min −1 . VO 2 max increased from 3950.0 ± 160.7 before administration to 4254.5 ± 178.4 ml.min −1 with rHuEpo, and decreased to 4059.0 ± 161.1 ml.min −1 with hemodilution (P=0.22 compared to pre rHuEpo). The main finding in the present study is that rHuEpo exerts its main effects on performance through an increase in red cell mass. In addition the data demonstrate that mean arterial pressure increases because of increased blood viscosity and that this does not limit maximal cardiac output.