Graded Exercise Hypoxia Testing

Graded Exercise Hypoxia Testing

The purpose of this study is to develop a single, standardized test to determine how individuals tolerate acute hypoxia in a stepwise fashion. We aim to evaluate the association between multiple factors, such as ventilatory compensation, heart rate response, acid-base changes, sex, pulmonary function, etc, which may explain why some individuals tolerate exercise in hypoxia better than others. Identifying these factors of association will inform future pharmacological and non-pharmacological attempts to combat acute hypoxic exercise.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Physically active (≥150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindications to exercise testing
• Currently pregnant
• Musculoskeletal or metabolic disease
• Allergies to lidocaine
• Body-mass index ≤18 or ≥35 kg·m-2
• Pacemaker
• No confounding cardiorespiratory disease
• Persistent tobacco use (>15 pack years)