AIM OF STUDY

Exercise performance was shown to be limited by cardiovascular reactions and muscle

metabolism alone. However, research has clearly demonstrated that the respiratory system is
far from flawless and cannot consistently handle the demands of intensive endurance exercise.
An elegant study examines the effects of a "underpowered" respiratory system in endurance-
trained athletes. Excessive pressure on the respiratory system leads to issues, including
exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH).

The purpose of this article is to characterise endurance-trained athletes at both maximum and
submaximal exercise intensities. Despite a decrease in oxygen (O2) saturation and identical
training volumes, athletes with EIH exhibit the same endurance performance in normoxia as
athletes without EIH. This lack of difference led trainers to conclude that the phenomena was
unrelated to performance, but it also showed that EIH athletes have a special response to
training.

EIH athletes may be able to adapt to hypoxemic episodes during high-altitude activity.
Although our understanding of the relationships between EIH and acute hypoxia has increased
over the last decade, numerous issues remain. EIH athletes exhibit worse endurance
performance following acute altitude exposure compared to non-EIH athletes, although the
underlying physiological reasons remain unclear. Second, there is less research on the effects
of EIH from prolonged altitude exposure. We review data on the effects of EIH in acute
hypoxic situations, identify unsolved problems concerning chronic hypoxic exposure, and
propose ways to improve endurance training.