Cerebral desaturation during exercise reversed by O2 supplementation

H. B. Nielsen*, R. Boushel, P. Madsen, N. H. Secher

*Corresponding author for this work
176 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The combined effects of hyperventilation and arterial desaturation on cerebral oxygenation (SC(O2)) were determined using near-infrared spectroscopy. Eleven competitive oarsmen were evaluated during a 6-min maximal ergometer row. The study was randomized in a double-blind fashion with an inspired O2 fraction of 0.21 or 0.30 in a crossover design. During exercise with an inspired O2 fraction of 0.21, the arterial CO2 pressure (35 ± 1 mmHg; 1 mean ± SE) and O2 pressure (77 ± 2 mmHg) as well as the hemoglobin saturation (91.9 ± 0.7%) were reduced (P < 0.05). SC(O2) was reduced from 80 ± 2 to 63 ± 2% (P < 0.05), and the near-infrared spectroscopy-determined concentration changes in deoxy- (ΔHb) and oxyhemoglobin (ΔHbo2) of the vastus lateralis muscle increased 22 ± 3 μM and decreased 14 ± 3 μM, respectively (P < 0.05). Increasing the inspired O2 fraction to 0.30 did not affect ventilation (174 ± 4 l/min), but arterial CO2 pressure (37 ± 2 mmHg), O2 pressure (165 ± 5 mmHg), and hemoglobin O2 saturation (99 ± 0.1%) increased (P < 0.05). SC(O2) remained close to the resting level during exercise (79 ± 2 vs. 81 ± 2%), and although the muscle ΔHb (18 ± 2 μM) and ΔHbO2 (-12 ± 3 μM) were similar to those established without O2 supplementation, work capacity in creased from 389 ± 11 to 413 ± 10 W (P < 0.05). These results indicate that an elevated inspiratory O2 fraction increases exercise performance related to maintained cerebral oxygenation rather than to an effect on the working muscles.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
Volume277
Issue number3 46-3
Pages (from-to)H1045-H1052
ISSN0363-6135
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 1999

Keywords

  • Arterial oxygen pressure
  • Arterial oxygen saturation
  • Hyperoxia
  • Lactate
  • Near-infrared spectroscopy
  • pH

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