Perry CG, Talanian JL, Heigenhauser GJ, Spriet LL. The effects of training in hyperoxia vs. normoxia on skeletal muscle enzyme activities and exercise performance. J Appl Physiol 102: 1022-1027, 2007. First published December 14, 2006 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01215.2006.-Inspiring a hyperoxic (H) gas permits subjects to exercise at higher power outputs while training, but there is controversy as to whether this improves skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, maximal O2 consumption (V O2 max), and endurance performance to a greater extent than training in normoxia (N). To determine whether the higher power output during H training leads to a greater increase in these parameters, nine recreationally active subjects were randomly assigned in a single-blind fashion to train in H (60% O2) or N for 6 wk (3 sessions/wk of 10 ϫ 4 min at 90% V O2 max). Training heart rate (HR) was maintained during the study by increasing power output. After at least 6 wk of detraining, a second 6-wk training protocol was completed with the other breathing condition. V O2 max and cycle time to exhaustion at 90% of pretraining V O2 max were tested in room air preand posttraining. Muscle biopsies were sampled pre-and posttraining for citrate synthase (CS), -hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (-HAD), and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (m-AsAT) activity measurements. Training power outputs were 8% higher (17 W) in H vs. N. However, both conditions produced similar improvements in V O2 max (11-12%); time to exhaustion (ϳ100%); and CS (H, 30%; N, 32%), -HAD (H, 23%; N, 21%), and m-AsAT (H, 21%; N, 26%) activities. We conclude that the additional training stimulus provided by training in H was not sufficient to produce greater increases in the aerobic capacity of skeletal muscle and whole body V O2 max and exercise performance compared with training in N. citrate synthase; -hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase; mitochondrial oxidative capacity; high-intensity interval training INSPIRING a hyperoxic gas mixture (H) can improve acute aerobic exercise performance and allows subjects to exercise at higher power outputs for a given heart rate (HR) and with a lower rating of perceived exertion for a given power output compared with breathing normoxic (N) air (2,9,13,16,25,26). The ability to exercise at higher power outputs with H also persists during an entire 5-to 6-wk training paradigm compared with N (15, 17). Thus inspiring H allows individuals to train at higher aerobic intensities, which may provide a greater stimulus for enhancing endurance performance. However, it is not clear whether the additional training stimulus from H results in greater adaptive responses in mitochondrial oxidative capacity or exercise performance relative to N. reported that even though higher power outputs (ϳ20 W or ϳ12%) were achieved for a given HR while training in H at ϳ70% of V O 2 max each week for 5 wk, no additional increase in V O 2 max occurred compared with N. Nevertheless, despite the greater training stimulus with H, cytochrome-c oxidase an...