Intermittent Hypoxic Training as an Effective Tool for Increasing the Adaptive Potential, Endurance and Working Capacity of the Brain

Abstract

This review is devoted to the phenomenon of intermittent hypoxic training and is aimed at drawing the attention of researchers to the necessity of studying the mechanisms mediating the positive, particularly neuroprotective, effects of hypoxic training at the molecular level. The review briefly describes the historical aspects of studying the beneficial effects of mild hypoxia, as well as the use of hypoxic training in medicine and sports. The physiological mechanisms of hypoxic adaptation, models of hypoxic training and their effectiveness are summarized, giving examples of their beneficial effects in various organs including the brain. The review emphasizes a high, far from being realized at present, potential of hypoxic training in preventive and clinical medicine especially in the area of neurodegeneration and age-related cognitive decline.

Brain-Derived neurotrophic factor and inflammatory biomarkers are unaffected by acute and chronic intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposure in geriatric patients: a randomized controlled trial

“…Based on the findings of animal [ 41 ] and human [ 89 ] studies, hypoxia-induced secretion and/or expression of neurotrophic factors, such as BDNF, has been proposed as a possible mechanism to explain the beneficial neurocognitive effects of interventions applying intermittent hypoxia [ 48 , 49 , 90 ]. There is currently no study available that has examined the acute and/or chronic effects of IHHE prior to aerobic exercise on BDNF S and BDNF P in humans.…”

“…With regard to human studies, exposure to intermittent or prolonged hypoxia for 4 to 8 weeks (3 sessions·week −1 ) was shown to increase cognitive performance in healthy older adults [ 45 , 46 ] and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [ 47 ]. The neuroprotective effect of intermittent hypoxic exposure is thought to be related to the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF, especially HIF-1α) and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [ 48 , 49 ]. HIF-1α activates, among others, the transcription of genes responsible for angiogenesis [ 50 ], vasodilation [ 51 , 52 ], glucose transport, and glucose metabolism [ 53 , 54 ].…”

Effectiveness of Intermittent Hypoxia–Hyperoxia Therapy in Different Pathologies with Possible Metabolic Implications

“…Specific reactions to hypoxia are accompanied by an increase in the blood level of glucocorticoids. This adaptive response provides increased resistance to hypoxia and many other environmental factors [ 28 ].…”

Oxy-Inflammation in Humans during Underwater Activities

“…Physical exercise has been proposed as a model of “intermittent hypoxia” (IH) or “intermittent hyperoxia” since oxidative stress increases during exercise, which can be defined as a combination of cycles of hypoxia and normoxia, hypercapnia, and hyperoxia, depending on the training type and duration [ 70 , 86 , 87 ]. Physical exercise, mainly moderate activity, improves health by reducing the risk of obesity and cardiovascular and chronic degenerative disease onset [ 88 ], raising NO availability, decreasing oxidative stress, and fostering antioxidant defenses [ 89 ].…”