Exercise induced arterial hypoxemia in swimmers.
OBJECTIVE
Exercise induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) is a reduction in arterial oxygenation, which may result from a drop in arterial oxygen pressure and therefore in oxygen saturation. We examined EIAH in swimmers, while till now it was known to occur in cyclists and runners.


METHODS
We studied 8 male highly trained swimmers (age: 23+/-1.7; (.-)VO(2peak), 5.3+/-0.1 l/min and 8 male ex-swimmers (age: 21.5+/-0.6; (.-)VO(2peak), 3.4+/-0.3 l/min). All subjects performed 200-meter freestyle at maximum effort. Hemoglobin saturation (SaO(2)%) was measured using a finger pulse oximeter before exercise in the water in an upright position and immediately after exercise, within 5 seconds.


RESULTS
Highly trained swimmers developed a statistically significant decrease in SaO(2)% (from 98.3+/-0.3 to 94+/-0.9, p= or <0.01) after exercise, while ex-swimmers did not (from 98.4+/-0.3 to 96.8+/-0.3 ns). The 4% decrease in SaO(2)% observed in highly trained swimmers can be characterized as mild EIAH.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that highly trained swimmers but not ex-swimmers may develop mild EIAH after 200 meters freestyle swimming at maximum effort.
Spanoudaki
S S
SS
Division of Sports Medicine and Biology of Exercise, Laboratory of Functional Anatomy,TEFAA University of Athens, Dafni, Greece.
Maridaki
M D
MD
Myrianthefs
P M
PM
Baltopoulos
P J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*
D010100:Oxygen