Premium
Exercise during short‐term exposure to hypoxia or hyperoxia ‐ novel treatment strategies for type 2 diabetic patients?!
Author(s) -
Brinkmann C.,
Bloch W.,
Brixius K.
Publication year - 2018
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/sms.12937
Subject(s) - hyperoxia , hypoxia (environmental) , medicine , intermittent hypoxia , physical exercise , vo2 max , aerobic exercise , skeletal muscle , cardiology , endocrinology , physical therapy , heart rate , blood pressure , oxygen , lung , chemistry , organic chemistry , obstructive sleep apnea
Both hypoxia (decreased oxygen availability) and hyperoxia (increased oxygen availability) have been shown to alter exercise adaptations in healthy subjects. This review aims to clarify the possible benefits of exercise during short‐term exposure to hypoxia or hyperoxia for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM ). There is evidence that exercise during short‐term exposure to hypoxia can acutely increase skeletal muscle glucose uptake more than exercise in normoxia, and that post‐exercise insulin sensitivity in T2 DM patients is more increased when exercise is performed under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, interventional studies show that glycemic control can be improved through regular physical exercise in short‐term hypoxia at a lower workload than in normoxia, and that exercise training in short‐term hypoxia can contribute to increased weight loss in overweight/obese (insulin‐resistant) subjects. While numerous studies involving healthy subjects report that regular exercise in hypoxia can increase vascular health (skeletal muscle capillarization and vascular dilator function) to a higher extent than exercise training in normoxia, there is no convincing evidence yet that hypoxia has such additive effects in T2 DM patients in the long term. Some studies indicate that the use of hyperoxia during exercise can decrease lactate concentrations and subjective ratings of perceived exertion. Thus, there are interesting starting points for future studies to further evaluate possible beneficial effects of exercise in short‐term hypoxia or hyperoxia at different oxygen concentrations and exposure durations. In general, exposure to hypoxia/hyperoxia should be considered with caution. Possible health risks—especially for T2 DM patients—are also analyzed in this review.