The Impact of Hypoxia on the Biochemical and Morphological Parameters of Blood in Rowers.

NCT06264193 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Rowers LH-TL
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 14
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The response to hypoxia is very individual and depending on many aspects, such as the type of training, duration, intensity, or hypoxic stimulus, hypoxia affects the athlete in various ways. This multi-stage study investigated hematological and physiological responses to normobaric Live High-Train Low (LHTL) exposure in elite male rowers from the Polish national rowing team. Stage I evaluated responses during an 18-day LHTL intervention, whereas Stage II evaluated responses during a 14-day LHTL intervention and extended the assessment to 42 days after return to normoxia. The study focused particularly on hematological variables, erythropoietin (EPO), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and other physiological and biochemical responses associated with hypoxic exposure.

Conditions

Hypoxia; Normobaric Hypoxia

Keywords

hypoxia; rowers; exercise; EPO; athletes; LH-TL; hematological adaptation; elite athletes

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Erythropoietin (EPO) mlU/ml

  immunoenzymatic assay methods using diagnostic kits

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mlU/ml

  immunoenzymatic assay methods using diagnostic kits

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Creatine kinase (CK) ng/ml

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Hs C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) mg/L

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention.

• Hemoglobin (Hb)g/dL

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Hematocrit (Htc)%

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Red blood cells (RBC)mln/mm3

  Stage 1: at baseline and on days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention. Stage 2: at baseline, on days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and at 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

Other Outcomes (5)

• Body mass (kg)

  Stage 1: baseline and Days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention; Stage 2: baseline and Days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Body fat percentage (%)

  Stage 1: baseline and Days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention; Stage 2: baseline and Days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

• Fat mass (kg)

  Stage 1: baseline and Days 6, 12, and 18 of the intervention; Stage 2: baseline and Days 7 and 14 of the intervention, and 8, 14, and 42 days after the intervention.

Study Arms (2)

LHTL

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to the LHTL group underwent their regular sports training while living in normobaric hypoxic rooms.

Other: Normobaric hypoxia (LHTL)

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants assigned to the control group completed the same sports training as the LHTL group while living in normoxic conditions at the same training camp.

Interventions

Normobaric hypoxia (LHTL) OTHER

Participants lived in normobaric hypoxic rooms for 14-16 h per day while completing their regular training under normoxic conditions. The simulated altitude was progressively increased during the intervention.

LHTL

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Male national-team rowers aged ≥18 years.
• Regular participation in rowing training.
• Participation in the training camp.

You may not qualify if:

• Exposure to hypoxic conditions or altitude above 1500 m within 1 month before the study.
• Medical contraindications or adverse symptoms associated with hypoxic exposure.
• Injury or health condition preventing participation in the training program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Poznan University of Physical Education: lead
• The Polish Rowing Association, Warsaw, Poland.: collaborator

Related Publications (5)

• Kasperska A, Zembron-Lacny A. The effect of intermittent hypoxic exposure on erythropoietic response and hematological variables in elite athletes. Physiol Res. 2020 Apr 30;69(2):283-290. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.934316. Epub 2020 Mar 23.

  PMID: 32199016 BACKGROUND

• Wilber RL. Application of altitude/hypoxic training by elite athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Sep;39(9):1610-24. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e3180de49e6.

  PMID: 17805095 BACKGROUND

• Czuba M, Fidos-Czuba O, Ploszczyca K, Zajac A, Langfort J. Comparison of the effect of intermittent hypoxic training vs. the live high, train low strategy on aerobic capacity and sports performance in cyclists in normoxia. Biol Sport. 2018 Mar;35(1):39-48. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2018.70750. Epub 2017 Oct 11.

  PMID: 30237660 RESULT

• Ploszczyca K, Langfort J, Czuba M. The Effects of Altitude Training on Erythropoietic Response and Hematological Variables in Adult Athletes: A Narrative Review. Front Physiol. 2018 Apr 11;9:375. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00375. eCollection 2018.

  PMID: 29695978 RESULT

• Kasperska A, Dziewiecka H, Jankowski W, Mikulski T, Czerniec I, Skarpanska-Stejnborn A, Ostapiuk-Karolczuk J. Hematological, inflammatory, and hypoxia-responsive adaptations to 18-day normobaric live high-train low training in elite rowers. Front Physiol. 2026 May 13;17:1834329. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2026.1834329. eCollection 2026.

  PMID: 42222289 DERIVED

Related Links

• Exercise and Training at Altitudes: Physiological Effects and Protocols

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hypoxia; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Anna Kasperska

  Poznań University of Physical Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland;

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Participants were randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups: a hypoxic Live High-Train Low (LHTL) group, which underwent the same sports training while living in normobaric hypoxic conditions, and a control (CON) group, which completed the same training while living in normoxic conditions.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants were assigned to two parallel groups: an LHTL group, which completed the same sports training while living in normobaric hypoxic conditions, and a control group, which completed the same training while living in normoxic conditions. The hypoxic exposure protocol differed between Stage I and Stage II as described in the study protocol.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2024
• First Posted: February 16, 2024
• Study Start: November 30, 2014
• Primary Completion: December 21, 2015
• Study Completion: December 21, 2015
• Last Updated: September 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share