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Moderate hypoxic exposure for 4 weeks reduces body fat percentage and increases fat-free mass in trained individuals: a randomized crossover study

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Abstract

Purpose

We evaluated whether or not changes in body composition following moderate hypoxic exposure for 4 weeks were different compared to sea level exposure.

Methods

In a randomized crossover design, nine trained participants were exposed to 2320 m of altitude or sea level for 4 weeks, separated by > 3 months. Body fat percentage (BF%), fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM) were determined before and after each condition by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and weekly by a bioelectrical impedance scanner to determine changes with a high resolution. Training volume was quantified during both interventions.

Results

Hypoxic exposure reduced (P < 0.01) BF% by 2 ± 1 percentage points and increased (P < 0.01) FFM by 2 ± 2% determined by DXA. A tending time × treatment effect existed for FM determined by DXA (P = 0.06), indicating a reduced FM in hypoxia by 8 ± 7% (P < 0.01). Regional body analysis revealed reduced (P < 0.01) BF% and FFM and an increased (P < 0.01) FFM in the truncus area. No changes were observed following sea level. Bioelectrical impedance determined that BF%, FM, and FFM did not reveal any differences between interventions. Urine specific gravity measured simultaneously as body composition was identical. Training volume was similar between interventions (509 ± 70 min/week vs. 432 ± 70 min/week, respectively).

Conclusions

Four weeks of altitude exposure reduced BF% and increased FFM in trained individuals as opposed to sea level exposure. The results also indicate that a decrease in FM is greater at altitude compared to sea level. Changes were specifically observed in the truncus area.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the participants and the staff at Centro de Alto Rendimiento for important assistance in the altitude intervention. We also thank Jesper Linkis, Esben Krogh, Andrea Munck, and Ditte Vile Kærup for crucial assistance throughout the study.

Funding

The study was funded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (ISF17R02NN). The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (NEXS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Thomas Christian Bonne, Jan Sommer Jeppesen, Jacob Bejder, Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen & Nikolai Baastrup Nordsborg

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 13, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Niels Vidiendal Olsen

  3. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain

    Jesús Rodríguez Huertas

  4. Section of Sport Science, Department of Public Health, Arhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen

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  1. Thomas Christian Bonne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikolai Baastrup Nordsborg.

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Ethics approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards regional scientific committee in Copenhagen (H-17036662) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Bonne, T.C., Jeppesen, J.S., Bejder, J. et al. Moderate hypoxic exposure for 4 weeks reduces body fat percentage and increases fat-free mass in trained individuals: a randomized crossover study. Sleep Breath 27, 1611–1618 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-022-02713-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-022-02713-z

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