ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2021 November;180(11):715-21

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.20.04543-X

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Walking versus cycling test: physiological responses in normobaric hypoxia

Nicola GIOVANELLI ^{1, 2} ✉, Alessandro CIGALOTTO ³, Barbara LESA ^{1, 2}, Stefano LAZZER ^{1, 2}

¹ School of Sport Science, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; ² Center for Mountain Sports Studies, University of Udine, Gemona del Friuli, Udine, Italy; ³ Ambulatorio Medicina di Montagna, University Hospital Friuli Centrale, Gemona del Friuli, Udine, Italy

BACKGROUND: Races that take place in the mountains cover a variety of terrains at several altitudes. A test for predicting acute mountain sickness has been developed on the basis of a “normal” population but not on the basis of an athlete population. The aim of this study was to compare the Richalet Test to a specific test for athletes.
METHODS: Eleven subjects (age: 29.7±8.9 years, V̇O2peak: 55.7±8.5 mL/kg/min) underwent two incremental tests on a cycle ergometer (CE) and treadmill (TR). Then, they underwent two tests on the CE and TR composed of: 1) five minutes of rest in normoxia; 2) five minutes of rest in hypoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen (11.5%); 3) five minutes of walking or cycling at an intensity of 80% of the respiratory compensation point in hypoxia; and 4) five minutes of rest in normoxia. We compared the following parameters at rest and during exercise: desaturation, ventilatory and cardiac response.
RESULTS: None of the mean values of the investigated parameters differed between the two tests (P>0.05), but some subjects who had out-of-range values on the CE did not have out-of-range values on the TR (or vice versa).
CONCLUSIONS: We showed that there were: 1) no differences in the mean values of the analyzed parameters between the two protocols; and 2) that the responses to the CE and TR protocols varied across individuals. For individuals who are planning to hike or run at a high altitude they should undergo a walking test. Additionally, when athletes plan to compete at high altitudes, the intensity of the test should be similar to that planned for the race.

KEY WORDS: Altitude; Endurance training; Running