Cerebral desaturation during exercise reversed by O2 supplementation

H B Nielsen, Robert Christopher Boushel, P Madsen, N H Secher

161 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The combined effects of hyperventilation and arterial desaturation on cerebral oxygenation (ScO2) 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; mean +/- SE) and O2 pressure (77 +/- 2 mmHg) as well as the hemoglobin saturation (91.9 +/- 0.7%) were reduced (P <0.05). ScO2 was reduced from 80 +/- 2 to 63 +/- 2% (P <0.05), and the near-infrared spectroscopy-determined concentration changes in deoxy- (DeltaHb) and oxyhemoglobin (DeltaHbO2) of the vastus lateralis muscle increased 22 +/- 3 microM and decreased 14 +/- 3 microM, 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). ScO2 remained close to the resting level during exercise (79 +/- 2 vs. 81 +/- 2%), and although the muscle DeltaHb (18 +/- 2 microM) and DeltaHbO2 (-12 +/- 3 microM) were similar to those established without O2 supplementation, work capacity increased 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 (Consolidated)
Volume277
Issue number3 Pt 2
Pages (from-to)H1045-52
ISSN0002-9513
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 1999

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Brain
  • Exercise
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Oxygen
  • Oxygen Consumption

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