Hypoxic training improves normoxic glucose tolerance in adolescents with obesity

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Estelle De Groote
  • Florian A Britto
  • Loïc Bullock
  • Marie François
  • Carine De Buck
  • Henri Nielens
  • Louise Deldicque

Purpose: This study aimed to test whether environmental hypoxia could potentiate the effects of exercise training on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

Methods: Fourteen adolescents with obesity were assigned to 6 wk of exercise training either in normoxic or in hypoxic conditions (FiO2 15%). Adolescents trained three times per week for 50-60 min, including endurance and resistance exercises. Oral glucose tolerance test, blood and morphological analyses, and physical performance tests were performed before and after the training period.

Results: After training, hypoxia, but not normoxia, decreased the area under the curve of plasma insulin (-49%; P = 0.001) and glucose levels (-14%; P = 0.005) during oral glucose tolerance test. Decreased plasma triglycerides levels (P = 0.03) and increased maximal aerobic power (P = 0.002), work capacity at 160 bpm (P = 0.002), and carbohydrate consumption during exercise (P = 0.03) were measured only in the hypoxic group.

Conclusions: Hypoxic exercise training was particularly efficient at improving glucose tolerance and insulin response to a glucose challenge in adolescents with obesity. These results suggest that exercise training in hypoxia could be an interesting strategy against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes development in adolescents with obesity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Volume50
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)2200-2208
Number of pages9
ISSN0195-9131
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Science - Insulin resistance, Hypoxia, Physical activity, Glucose metabolism

ID: 214128634