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Project
Training in hypoxia: physiological adaptations in skeletal muscle.
Training in hypoxia: effect on performance and physiological implications in skeletal muscle.
The interest in exercise in hypoxia for benefits in sport, fitness and revalidation is growing. Therefore, it is important to identify the physiological adaptations of exercise in hypoxia. First, we want to explore the effects of hypoxia training on exercise performance. Secondly, we want to investigate the consequences of exercise training in hypoxia on the activation of HIF1α, an intracellular O2-sensor, AMP-activated protein kinase, involved in exercise adaptations, and carnosine that works as an intramyocellular H+-buffer.
This PhD project includes longitudinal interventionstudies in healthy individuals consisting of sprint interval training (6 weeks of sprint interval training, 3x/week) and endurancetraining (8 weeks of endurancetraining, 4x/week) in normobaric hypoxia (hypoxiachambre on 14 or 21% O2). We try to find out what the effects of hypoxia training are on aerobic and anaerobic performance and on the metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscles. Before and after training all subjects undergo a muscle biopsy from the m.vastus lateralis, at rest and during exercise and recovery. On these biopsies we want to analyze parameters of metabolic pathways (AMPK, glycolyse, β-oxidation, Krebs cycle), O2-sensing pathways (PHD~HIF), enzyme activity, protein content and gene expression (mRNA), this also includes fiber-specific measurements. We also want to investigate the oxygenation of the m.vastus lateralis during exercise by near-infrared-spectroscopy. This project focuses on the possible performance improvements due to training in hypoxia, and in addition, aims to explore metabolic and structural adaptations in skeletal muscle cells to exercise in hypoxia, more specific on the role of HIF1α, AMPK and carnosine.
The interest in exercise in hypoxia for benefits in sport, fitness and revalidation is growing. Therefore, it is important to identify the physiological adaptations of exercise in hypoxia. First, we want to explore the effects of hypoxia training on exercise performance. Secondly, we want to investigate the consequences of exercise training in hypoxia on the activation of HIF1α, an intracellular O2-sensor, AMP-activated protein kinase, involved in exercise adaptations, and carnosine that works as an intramyocellular H+-buffer.
This PhD project includes longitudinal interventionstudies in healthy individuals consisting of sprint interval training (6 weeks of sprint interval training, 3x/week) and endurancetraining (8 weeks of endurancetraining, 4x/week) in normobaric hypoxia (hypoxiachambre on 14 or 21% O2). We try to find out what the effects of hypoxia training are on aerobic and anaerobic performance and on the metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscles. Before and after training all subjects undergo a muscle biopsy from the m.vastus lateralis, at rest and during exercise and recovery. On these biopsies we want to analyze parameters of metabolic pathways (AMPK, glycolyse, β-oxidation, Krebs cycle), O2-sensing pathways (PHD~HIF), enzyme activity, protein content and gene expression (mRNA), this also includes fiber-specific measurements. We also want to investigate the oxygenation of the m.vastus lateralis during exercise by near-infrared-spectroscopy. This project focuses on the possible performance improvements due to training in hypoxia, and in addition, aims to explore metabolic and structural adaptations in skeletal muscle cells to exercise in hypoxia, more specific on the role of HIF1α, AMPK and carnosine.
Date:1 Oct 2009 → 30 Jan 2014
Keywords:Training in hypoxia, Skeletal muscle
Disciplines:Education curriculum, Physiology
Project type:PhD project