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Table 2 Studies investigating substrate utilisation during exercise matched for relative intensities in hypoxia compared with normoxia

From: The effects of environmental hypoxia on substrate utilisation during exercise: a meta-analysis

Study

Participants

Study design

Type of hypoxia

Altitude (m)

Duration of exposure

Absolute substrate use (g.min−1)

Relative substrate use (%)

CHO oxidation

Fat oxidation

CHO oxidation

Fat oxidation

Braun et al. (2000) [11]

15 (females)

30 min cycling at 65% relative VO2max

TA

4300

10 days

SL:1.95 ± 0.11

CH:1.22 ± 0.09

NM

NM

NM

Lundby and Van Hall (2002) A [22]

8 (male = 6, female = 2)

60 min cycling at 50% relative VO2max

NH

4100

70 min

SL: 2.00 ± 0.20

AH: 1.70 ± 0.10

SL: 0.30 ± 0.01

AH: 0.20 ± 0.02

SL: 73.90 ± 2.00

AH: 75.50 ± 1.90

SL: 26.10 ± 2.00

AH: 24.50 ± 1.90

Lundby and Van Hall (2002) B [22]

8 (male = 6, female = 2)

60 min cycling at 50% relative VO2max

TA

4100

10 days

SL: 2.00 ± 0.20

CH: 1.70 ± 0.02

SL: 0.30 ± 0.01

CH: 0.30 ± 0.02

SL: 73.90 ± 2.00

CH: 74.40 ± 1.50

SL: 26.10 ± 2.00

CH: 25.60 ± 1.50

Matu et al. (2017) A [6]

12 (males)

60 min walking at 50% relative VO2max

NH

2150

5 h

SL: 1.56 ± 0.35

AH: 1.18 ± 0.34

SL: 0.41 ± 0.18

AH: 0.44 ± 0.21

SL: 62.80 ± 13.30

AH: 55.10 ± 18.90

SL: 37.20 ± 13.30

AH: 44.90 ± 18.90

Matu et al. (2017) B [6]

12 (males)

60 min walking at 50% relative VO2max

NH

4300

5 h

SL: 1.56 ± 0.35

AH: 0.87 ± 0.37

SL: 0.41 ± 0.18

AH: 0.38 ± 0.19

SL: 62.80 ± 13.30

AH: 50.80 ± 19.80

SL: 37.20 ± 13.30

AH: 49.20 ± 19.80

Morishima et al. (2014) A [55]

8 (males)

30 min cycling at 60% relative VO2max

NH

2700

7.5 h

NM

NM

SL: 60.00 ± 7.80

AH: 93.70 ± 2.50

SL: 40.00 ± 7.80

AH: 6.30 ± 2.50

O’Hara et al. (2017) B [5]

7 (males)

105 min cycling at ~ 74% relative VO2max

HH

3375

155 min

SL: 2.64 ± 0.50

AH: 1.47 ± 0.62

SL: 0.38 ± 0.19

AH: 0.63 ± 0.25

SL: 73.10 ± 13.10

AH: 48.80 ± 18.90

SL: 26.90 ± 13.10

AH: 51.20 ± 18.90

Peronnet et al. (2006) [4]

5 (males)

80 min cycling at 77% relative VO2max

HH

4300

110 min

SL:3.25 ± 0.13

AH:2.67 ± 0.10

SL:0.37 ± 0.05

AH: 0.10 ± 0.03

SL:78.10 ± 1.80

AH: 92.00 ± 2.10

SL: 21.90 ± 1.80

AH: 8.00 ± 2.10

  1. Values presented as mean ± SD. HH hypobaric hypoxia, NH normobaric hypoxia, TA terrestrial altitude, SL sea level, AH acute hypoxia, CH chronic hypoxia, CHO carbohydrate, NM not measured. A and B refer to the different trial arms of each study