Limitations to oxygen transport and utilisation during sprint exercise in humans : evidence for a functional reserve in muscle O2 diffusing capacity.

• KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Severe acute hypoxia reduces sprint performance. Muscle VO2 during sprint exercise in normoxia is not limited by O2 delivery, O2 off-loading from haemoglobin or structure-dependent diffusion constraints in the skeletal muscle of young healthy men. A large functional reserve in muscle O2 diffusing capacity exists and remains available at exhaustion during exercise in normoxia, which is recruited during exercise in hypoxia. During whole-body incremental exercise to exhaustion in severe hypoxia leg VO2 is primarily dependent on convective O2 delivery and less limited by diffusion constraints than previously thought. The kinetics of O2 off-loading from haemoglobin does not limit VO2 peak in hypoxia. Our results indicate that the limitation to VO2 during short sprints resides in mechanisms regulating mitochondrial respiration.ABSTRACT: To determine the contribution of convective and diffusive limitations to VO2 peak during exercise in humans oxygen transport and haemodynamics were measured in eleven men (22 ± 2 years) during incremental (IE) and 30-s all-out sprints (Wingate test, WgT), in normoxia (Nx, PI O2 :143 mmHg) and hypoxia (Hyp, PI O2 :73 mmHg). Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) was increased to 6-7% before both WgTs to left-shift the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve. Leg VO2 was measured by the Fick method, and leg blood flow (BF) with thermodilution and muscle O2 diffusing capacity (DMO2 ) was calculated. In the WgT mean power output, leg BF, leg O2 delivery and leg VO2 were 7, 5, 28 and 23% lower in Hyp than Nx (P < 0.05), however, peak WgT DMO2 was higher in hypoxia (51.5 ± 9.7) than Nx (20.5 ± 3.0 ml min(-1) mmHg(-1) , P < 0.05). Despite a similar PaO2 (33.3 ± 2.4 and 34.1 ± 3.3 mmHg), mean capillary PO2 (16.7 ± 1.2 and 17.1 ± 1.6 mmHg), and peak perfusion during IE and WgT in Hyp, DMO2 and leg VO2 were 12 and 14% higher during WgT than IE in Hyp (both, P < 0.05). DMO2 was apparently insensitive to COHb (COHb: 0.7 vs 7%, in IE Hyp and WgT Hyp). At exhaustion, the Y equilibration index was well above 1.0 in both conditions, reflecting greater convective than diffusive limitation to the O2 transfer both in Nx and Hyp. In conclusion, muscle VO2 during sprint exercise is not limited by O2 delivery, the O2 off-loading from haemoglobin or structure-dependent diffusion constraints in the skeletal muscle. These findings reveal a remarkable functional reserve in muscle O2 diffusing capacity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Idrottsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Sport and Fitness Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

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Medicin/Teknik

Medicine/Technology

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