title: Acute physical exercise under hypoxia improves sleep, mood and reaction time.
abstract: This study aimed to assess the effect of two sessions of acute physical exercise at 50% VO2peak performed under hypoxia (equivalent to an altitude of 4500 m for 28 h) on sleep, mood and reaction time. Forty healthy men were randomized into 4 groups: Normoxia (NG) (n = 10); Hypoxia (HG) (n = 10); Exercise under Normoxia (ENG) (n = 10); and Exercise under Hypoxia (EHG) (n = 10). All mood and reaction time assessments were performed 40 min after awakening. Sleep was reassessed on the first day at 14 h after the initiation of hypoxia; mood and reaction time were measured 28 h later. Two sessions of acute physical exercise at 50% VO2peak were performed for 60 min on the first and second days after 3 and 27 h, respectively, after starting to hypoxia. Improved sleep efficiency, stage N3 and REM sleep and reduced wake after sleep onset were observed under hypoxia after acute physical exercise. Tension, anger, depressed mood, vigor and reaction time scores improved after exercise under hypoxia. We conclude that hypoxia impairs sleep, reaction time and mood. Acute physical exercise at 50% VO2peak under hypoxia improves sleep efficiency, reversing the aspects that had been adversely affected under hypoxia, possibly contributing to improved mood and reaction time.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Valdir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Aquino-Lemos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Ronaldo Vagner T
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Hanna Karen Moreira
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade do Estado de São Paulo (UNESP), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Nutrição, (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Irene G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Luz Bittar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Caris
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Esportes, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: tmello@demello.net.br.
authors.forename: Marco Tulio
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: de Mello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010092:Oximetry; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017286:Polysomnography; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D013147:Spirometry; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hypoxia; Mood; Physical exercise; Reaction time; Sleep