Effect of cooling down through hypoxic-hypercapnia and Normoxia on lactate, fatigue and recovery in elite triathletes and swimmers after an exhausting exercise

Objectives: Cooling-down after an intensive physical activity has been studied widely, while evidences about the role of hypoxia in optimal cooling-down are rarely. Present study aimed to compare the effects of cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia on concentration of the blood lactate of elite triathletes and swimmers after an exhaustive swimming activity.
Materials & Methods: Ten elite swimmers from the Triathlon and Swimming Men’s National Team (at least 3-year professional swimming training; age: 21.4 ± 4.16 years ; height: 187.1 ± 6.3 centimeters; weight: 76.3 ± 6.4 Kilograms) randomly put into hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia group. The performance included 4×50 meters all-out swimming with 10 seconds rest between the intervals. Afterward, 8-minute active recovery in hypoxia-hypercapnia group and 8-minute active recovery in normoxia group was performed. Blood lactate level (fingertip donation) and Rate of Fatigue (ROF) measured immediately after the performance; and 5 minutes and 8 minutes after the end of recovery period while utilizing cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia. Subjects crossed over the protocol a week later by utilizing the other cooling-down protocol. ANCOVA was used to analyze the data in p≤ 0.5 significance level.
Results: cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia has significant effect on reducing blood lactate level after 5 and 8 minutes after the end of performance. Also, ROF was significantly lower after 8 minutes in hypoxia-hypercapnia condition.
It can be concluded that cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia positively assists to better recovery after exhaustive swimming activity.
Conclusions: It seems that cooling-down in hypoxia-hypercapnic conditions as a new solution more efficiently effects on recovery. Further studies are needed to understand possible mechanisms of this recovery method.

Objectives: Cooling-down after an intensive physical activity has been studied widely, while evidences about the role of hypoxia in optimal cooling-down are rarely. Present study aimed to compare the effects of cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia on concentration of the blood lactate of elite triathletes and swimmers after an exhaustive swimming activity.
Materials & Methods: Ten elite swimmers from the Triathlon and Swimming Men’s National Team (at least 3-year professional swimming training; age: 21.4 ± 4.16 years ; height: 187.1 ± 6.3 centimeters; weight: 76.3 ± 6.4 Kilograms) randomly put into hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia group. The performance included 4×50 meters all-out swimming with 10 seconds rest between the intervals. Afterward, 8-minute active recovery in hypoxia-hypercapnia group and 8-minute active recovery in normoxia group was performed. Blood lactate level (fingertip donation) and Rate of Fatigue (ROF) measured immediately after the performance; and 5 minutes and 8 minutes after the end of recovery period while utilizing cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia or normoxia. Subjects crossed over the protocol a week later by utilizing the other cooling-down protocol. ANCOVA was used to analyze the data in p≤ 0.5 significance level.
Results: cooling-down through hypoxia-hypercapnia has significant effect on reducing blood lactate level after 5 and 8 minutes after the end of performance. Also, ROF was significantly lower after 8 minutes in hypoxia-hypercapnia condition.