Breathing air with reduced levels of oxygen for brief periods of time can increase aerobic capacity and exercise performance in elderly men, whether or not they have heart disease, European researchers report.

Russian physicians have long used low oxygen training for their elderly patients, lead author Dr. Martin Burtscher, from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and his team explain in the International Journal of Cardiology. But there have been few studies that have looked at the benefits in a scientific way.

The current study involved 16 physically active elderly men who were randomly selected to participate in low or normal oxygen training. Of these men, eight had a heart attack at least 8 weeks before the study began.

The 3-week breathing program consisted of five sessions per week. At each session, low oxygen subjects alternated between breathing air with reduced levels of oxygen for a few minutes and then normal air through a face mask while sitting down. A comparison group of men breathed normal air the entire time.

Exercise tests were performed before and three days after the program ended.

Low oxygen exposure led to a significant increase in red blood cells and hemoglobin levels, both of which seemed to help the blood carry more oxygen.

Moreover, based on changes in heart rate and blood pressure, low oxygen training increased aerobic capacity and exercise tolerance. The investigators found that the low oxygen sessions appeared to provide similar benefits for men with and without a prior heart attack.

SOURCE: International Journal of Cardiology, August 2004.

Reference Source 89
Aug 25, 2004

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