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Effect of prolonged exercise on arterial oxygen saturation in athletes susceptible to exercise‐induced hypoxemia
Author(s) -
Stewart I. B.,
Pickering R. L.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2006.00563.x
Subject(s) - medicine , incremental exercise , hypoxemia , ventilatory threshold , vo2 max , physical therapy , athletes , oxygen saturation , cardiology , endurance training , physical exercise , exercise intensity , heart rate , oxygen , blood pressure , chemistry , organic chemistry
This study examined the effect of prolonged endurance exercise on the development of exercise‐induced hypoxemia (EIH) in athletes who had previously displayed EIH during an incremental maximal exercise test. Five male and three female endurance‐trained athletes participated. Susceptibility to EIH was confirmed through a maximal incremental exercise test and defined as a reduction in the saturation of arterial oxygen (SpO 2 ) of ≥4% from rest. Sixty minutes of running was conducted, on a separate day, at an oxygen consumption corresponding to 95% of ventilatory threshold. Immediately following the 60 min exercise bout, athletes commenced a time trial to exhaustion at 95% maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ). The reduction in SpO 2 was significantly greater during the maximal incremental test, than during the 60 min, or time trial to exhaustion (−8.8±1.4%, −3.3±1.1%, and −4.1±2.3%, P <0.05, respectively). The degree of desaturation during the 60 min was significantly related to the relative intensity of exercise at 95% ventilatory threshold (adjusted r 2 =0.54, P =0.02). In conclusion, athletes who did not exercise at greater than 73% VO 2max during 60 min of endurance exercise did not display EIH, despite being previously susceptible during an incremental maximal test.