Heart rate variability changes at 2400 m altitude predicts acute mountain sickness on further ascent at 3000-4300 m altitudes

Objective: If the body fails to acclimatize at high altitude, acute mountain sickness (AMS) may result. For the early detection of AMS, changes in cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability (HRV) may be more sensitive than clinical symptoms alone. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the changes in HRV during ascent are related to AMS. Methods: We followed Lake Louise Score (LLS), arterial oxygen saturation at rest (R-SpO2) and exercise (Ex-SpO2) and HRV parameters daily in 36 different healthy climbers ascending from 2400 m to 6300 m altitudes during five different expeditions. Results: After an ascent to 2400 m, root mean square successive differences, high-fre…

Ventilatory chemosensitivity, cerebral and muscle oxygenation, and total hemoglobin mass before and after a 72-day mt. Everest expedition.

Abstract. Cheung, Stephen S, Niina E. Mutanen, Heikki M. Karinen, Anne S. Koponen, Heikki Kyro ̈ la ̈ inen, Heikki O. Tikkanen, and Juha E. Peltonen. Ventilatory chemosensitivity, cerebral and muscle oxygenation, and total hemoglobin mass before and after a 72-day Mt. Everest expedition. High Alt Med Biol 15:331–340, 2014.— Background: We investigated the effects of chronic hypobaric hypoxic acclimatization, performed over the course of a 72-day self-supported Everest expedition, on ventilatory chemosensitivity, arterial saturation, and tissue oxygenation adaptation along with total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) in nine experienced climbers (age 37 – 6 years, _ VO 2peak 55 – 7mL $ kg - 1 $ min…

Respiratory plasticity in response to changes in oxygen supply and demand

Aerobic organisms maintain O(2) homeostasis by responding to changes in O(2) supply and demand in both short and long time domains. In this review, we introduce several specific examples of respiratory plasticity induced by chronic changes in O(2) supply (environmental hypoxia or hyperoxia) and demand (exercise-induced and temperature-induced changes in aerobic metabolism). These studies reveal that plasticity occurs throughout the respiratory system, including modifications to the gas exchanger, respiratory pigments, respiratory muscles, and the neural control systems responsible for ventilating the gas exchanger. While some of these responses appear appropriate (e.g., increases in lung su…

Muscle fiber-type distribution predicts weight gain and unfavorable left ventricular geometry: a 19 year follow-up study

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle consists of type-I (slow-twitch) and type-II (fast-twitch) fibers, with proportions highly variable between individuals and mostly determined by genetic factors. Cross-sectional studies have associated low percentage of type-I fibers (type-I%) with many cardiovascular risk factors. Methods We investigated whether baseline type-I% predicts left ventricular (LV) structure and function at 19-year follow-up, and if so, which are the strongest mediating factors. At baseline in 1984 muscle fiber-type distribution (by actomyosin ATPase staining) was studied in 63 healthy men (aged 32–58 years). The follow-up in 2003 included echocardiography, measurement of obes…

Asthma, allergies and respiratory symptoms in different activity groups of swimmers exercising in swimming halls

Abstract Background Respiratory symptoms are common in competitive swimmers. However, among these and in swimmers at other activity levels the swimming distance, the total spent time in swimming halls and their medical background varies. Our objectives were, first, to assess their medical histories and the associations with respiratory symptoms among swimmers in different activity groups and then second, to study the pulmonary function findings and related medications in competitive swimmers who exercise in swimming hall environments the most. Methods First, 1118 participants consisting of 133 competitive-, 734 fitness- and 251 occasional swimmers answered questionnaires concerning their me…

40(th) EASD Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes : Munich, Germany, 5-9 September 2004

Alveolar gas exchange and tissue deoxygenation during exercise in type 1 diabetes patients and healthy controls.

We used near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate whether leg and arm skeletal muscle and cerebral deoxygenation differ during incremental cycling exercise in men with type 1 diabetes (T1D, n=10, mean±SD age 33±7 years) and healthy control men (matched by age, anthrometry, and self-reported physical activity, CON, n=10, 32±7 years) to seek an explanation for lower aerobic capacity (˙VO2peak) often reported in T1D. T1D had lower ˙VO2peak (35±4mlkg(-1)min(-1) vs. 43±8mlkg(-1)min(-1), P0.01) and peak work rate (219±33W vs. 290±44W, P0.001) than CON. Leg muscle deoxygenation (↑ [deoxyhemoglobin]; ↓ tissue saturation index) was greater in T1D than CON at a given absolute submaximal work rate, bu…