title: Evidence of decrease in peak heart rate in acute hypoxia: effect of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia.
abstract: This study focuses on the influence of the arterial oxygen saturation level at exhaustion on peak heart rate under acute moderate hypoxia, in endurance-trained subjects. Nineteen competing male cyclists performed exhaustive ramp exercise (cycle ergometer) under normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (15 % O (2)). After the normoxic trial, the subjects were divided into those demonstrating exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia during exercise (> 5 % decrease in SaO (2) between rest and the end of exercise, n = 10) and those who did not (n = 9). O (2) uptake, heart rate and arterial O (2) saturation (ear-oximeter) levels were measured. Under hypoxia, peak heart rate decreased for both groups (p < 0.001) and to a greater extent for hypoxemic subjects (p < 0.01). Arterial O (2) saturation under hypoxia was lower for the hypoxemic than for the non-hypoxemic subjects (p < 0.001) and it was correlated to the fall in peak heart rate between normoxia and hypoxia for all subjects (p < 0.01; r = 0.65). Hypoxemic subjects presented greater decrease in maximal O (2) uptake than non-hypoxemic ones (19.6 vs. 15.6 %; p < 0.05). The results confirm the greater decrement in arterial O (2) saturation under hypoxia in hypoxemic subjects and demonstrates a more pronounced reduction in peak heart rate in those subjects compared with non-hypoxemic ones. These data confirm the possible influence of arterial oxygenation on the decrease in peak heart rate in acute hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Physiologie et Physiopathologie de l'Exercice et Handicap, Université J. Monnet, Saint-Etienne, France. olivier.grataloup@gmail.com
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grataloup
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Busso
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castells
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benoit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen