Thirteen days of "live high-train low" does not affect prooxidant/antioxidant balance in elite swimmers.
We investigated the impact of 13 days of "living high-training low" (LHTL) on the antioxidant/prooxidant balance in elite endurance swimmers. Eighteen elite swimmers from the French Swimming Federation were submitted to a 13-day endurance training and divided into two groups: one group trained at 1,200 m and lived in hypoxia (2,500-3,000 m simulated altitude) and the second group trained and lived at 1,200 m. The subjects performed an acute hypoxic test (10 min at 4,800 m) before and 1 day after the training period. Plasma levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), malondialdehydes (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and lipid-soluble antioxidants were measured before and after the 4,800 m tests. After the training, MDA and AOPP responses to the 4,800 m test were lower than before training for both groups (+10 vs. +2%; P = 0.01 for MDA and +80 vs. +14%; P = 0.01 for AOPP). Thirteen days of LHTL did not modify antioxidant status (FRAP and lipid-soluble antioxidants) despite intakes in vitamins A and E below the recommended daily allowances. The LHTL did not affect the antioxidant status in elite swimmers; however, the normoxic endurance training induced preconditioning mechanisms in response to the 4,800 m test.
Pialoux
Vincent
V
Laboratoire de Biologie des Activités Physiques et Sportives, Faculté de Médecine, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France. pialouxvincent@yahoo.fr
Mounier
Rémi
R
Brugniaux
Julien V
JV
Rock
Edmond
E
Mazur
Andrzej
A
Richalet
Jean-Paul
JP
Robach
Paul
P
Coudert
Jean
J
Fellmann
Nicole
N