"Live High Train Low" Hypoxic Training Enhances Exercise Performance with Efficient Redox Homeostasis in Rats' Soleus Muscle.

Abstract

Different types of hypoxic training have been performed to improve exercise performance. Although both "live high train high" and "live high train low" techniques are commonly performed, it is still obscure as to which one is more beneficial. Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into aforementioned experimental groups. After a familiarization exercise (4-week, ∼15-30 minutes/day) at normoxia, all rats exercised (4-week, ∼35 minutes/day) at hypoxia with their pre-evaluated maximal aerobic velocity test. The soleus was extracted after the test following 2 days of resting. The live high trained low group displayed better performance than the live high trained high ( = 0.031) and the live low trained low ( = 0.017) groups. Redox status biomarkers were higher in the live high trained high group except for thiols, which were illustrated with no difference among the groups. Further, contrary to total and protein thiols ( = 0.57, = 0.037; = 0.55, = 0.042 respectively), other redox status biomarkers were observed to be negatively correlated to exercise performance. The live high trained low group could consume more oxygen during exercise, which might lead to having a better chance to ensure cellular redox homeostasis. Therefore, this group could ensure an optimum exercise performance and anabolic metabolism.