Aerobic Interval Training Impacts Muscle and Brain Oxygenation Responses to Incremental Exercise

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of aerobic interval training on muscle and brain oxygenation to incremental ramp exercise. Eleven physically active subjects performed a 6-week interval training period, proceeded and followed by an incremental ramp exercise to exhaustion (25 W min–1). Throughout the tests pulmonary gas exchange and muscle (Vastus Lateralis) and brain (prefrontal cortex) oxygenation [concentration of deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin, HHb and O2Hb, and tissue oxygenation index (TOI)] were continuously recorded. Following the training intervention V.⁢O2peak had increased with 7.8 ± 5.0% (P < 0.001). The slope of the decrease in muscle TOI had decreased (P = 0.017) 16.6 ± 6.4% and the amplitude of muscle HHb and totHb had increased (P < 0.001) 40.4 ± 15.8 and 125.3 ± 43.1%, respectively. The amplitude of brain O2Hb and totHb had increased (P < 0.05) 40.1 ± 18.7 and 26.8 ± 13.6%, respectively. The training intervention shifted breakpoints in muscle HHb, totHb and TOI, and brain O2Hb, HHb, totHb and TOI to a higher absolute work rate and V.⁢O2 (P < 0.05). The relative (in %) change in V.⁢O2peak was significantly correlated to relative (in %) change slope of muscle TOI (r = 0.69, P = 0.011) and amplitude of muscle HHb (r = 0.72, P = 0.003) and totHb (r = 0.52, P = 0.021), but not to changes in brain oxygenation. These results indicate that interval training affects both muscle and brain oxygenation, coinciding with an increase in aerobic fitness (i.e., V.⁢O2peak). The relation between the change in V.⁢O2peak and muscle but not brain oxygenation suggests that brain oxygenation per se is not a primary factor limiting exercise tolerance during incremental exercise.

New Directions in Exercise Prescription: Is There a Role for Brain-Derived Parameters Obtained by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy?

“…(e) the level of cognitive load [209][210][211][212], (f) the level of cognitive fatigue [213][214][215], (g) the influence of stress [216][217][218][219][220], (h) the influence of expertise level [104,122,212,221] or skill level [106,222], (i) training-related changes in motor-cognitive performance [105,117]. Accordingly, the provided evidence further buttresses the idea to use brain-derived parameters in exercise prescription.…”

“…However, these demands are mirrored in brain-derived measures. Regarding fNIRS-derived brain parameters, it was reported that they are sensitive to: the level of cognitive load [ 209 , 210 , 211 , 212 ], the level of cognitive fatigue [ 213 , 214 , 215 ], the influence of stress [ 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 , 220 ], the influence of expertise level [ 104 , 122 , 212 , 221 ] or skill level [ 106 , 222 ], training-related changes in motor–cognitive performance [ 105 , 117 ]. …”

Differential Brain and Muscle Tissue Oxygenation Responses to Exercise in Tibetans Compared to Han Chinese

“… Wang et al (2010) found hypoxic training does not affect muscle [O 2 Hb] response to hypoxic exercise nor cerebral NIRS parameters during normoxic exercise, despite a ∼50% improvement in maximal workload (+22 ml.min –1 .kg V̇O 2 max) in their participants. Recently, Caen et al (2019) showed aerobic training increased the amplitude of muscle totHb and HHb responses during incremental exercise in normoxia, indicating improved O 2 availability and muscle O 2 extraction with improved fitness. Meanwhile, we found comparable muscle tissue oxygenation responses between Han Chinese and Tibetans during incremental exercise in normoxia, and lower muscle O 2 Hb and totHb in Tibetans during hypoxic exercise.…”

Effects of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Cerebral Oxygenation in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Cerebral oxygenation was measured during a maximal incremental test before and after a 6-week cycling training intervention (Caen et al, 2019). Findings revealed that after an aerobic training intervention, participants who displayed greater VO 2max had a higher total [HbO 2 ] and total hemoglobin amplitude during maximal exercise compared to pre-training (Caen et al, 2019).…”

“…In the included studies, various terms were used to describe CRF levels. More specifically, the studies evaluating CRF during exercise tasks used terms such as moderately active and sedentary (Brugniaux et al, 2014;Caen et al, 2019), shortterm and long-term training (Buzza et al, 2016(Buzza et al, , 2020, trained and untrained (Oussaidene et al, 2015), endurance athlete and control (Seidel et al, 2019), and athlete and non-athlete (Shibuya and Kuboyama, 2010). In studies measuring cerebral oxygenation during cognitive tasks, the terms higher and lower fit were used to characterize CRF level.…”