Hypoxic high-intensity interval training in individuals with overweight and obesity

International audienceIntroduction. Combining moderate intensity exercise training with hypoxic exposure may induce larger improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors and health status compared to normoxic exercise training in obesity. Considering the greater cardiometabolic effects of high intensity intermittent training (HIIT), we hypothesized that hypoxic high-volume HIIT (H-HIIT) would induce greater improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness and health status despite a lower absolute training workload than normoxic HIIT (N-HIIT) in overweight/obesity. Methods. Thirty-one subjects were randomized to an 8-week H-HIIT (10 male and 6 female; age: 51.0±8.3years; BMI: 31.5±4kg·m -2 ) or N-HIIT (13 male and 2 female; age: 52.0±7.5years; BMI: 32.4±4.8kg·m -2 ) program (3 sessions/week; cycling at 80% or 100% of maximal workload for H-HIIT and N-HIIT, respectively; target arterial oxygen saturation for H-HIIT 80%, FiO 2 ~0.12, i.e. ~4,200m a.s.l.). Before and after training, the following evaluations were performed: incremental maximal and submaximal cycling tests, pulse-wave velocity, endothelial function, fasting glucose, insulin, lipid profile, and body composition. Results. Maximal exercise (VO 2peak : H-HIIT +14.2±8.3% versus N-HIIT +12.1±8.8%) and submaximal (ventilatory thresholds) capacity and exercise metabolic responses (power output at the crossover point and at maximal fat oxidation rate) increased significantly in both groups, with no significant difference between groups and without other cardiometabolic changes. H-HIIT induced a greater peak ventilatory response (ANOVA group×time interaction F=7.4, p=0.016) compared to N-HIIT. Conclusion. In overweight/obesity, the combination of normobaric hypoxia and HIIT was not superior for improving cardiorespiratory fitness improvement compared with HIIT in normoxia, although HIIT in hypoxia was performed at a lower absolute training workload