Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Inflammation, Oxidative/Antioxidant Balance, and Muscle Damage after Acute Exercise in Normobaric, Normoxic and Hypobaric, Hypoxic Environments: A Pilot Study

Jinhee Woo,Hee-Tae Roh,Yul-Hyo Lee,Jae-Hee Min

doi:10.3390/ijerph17207377

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on inflammation, the oxidative/antioxidant balance, and muscle damage after acute exercise in normobaric, normoxic (NN) and hypobaric, hypoxic (HH) environments. Eighteen healthy males were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: exercise in NN conditions (NN group, n = 6), HBOT treatment after exercise in NN conditions (HNN group, n = 6), and HBOT treatment after exercise in HH conditions (HHH group, n = 6). All subjects performed treadmill running for 60 min at 75–80% maximum heart rate (HRmax) exercise intensity under each condition. The HBOT treatments consisted of breathing 100% oxygen at 2.5 atmosphere absolute (ATA) for 60 min. Blood samples were collected before exercise (BE), after exercise (AE), and after HBOT (AH) to examine inflammation (fibrinogen, interleukin-6 [IL-6], and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)), the oxidative/antioxidant balance (derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and the biological antioxidant potential (BAP)), and muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)). Plasma fibrinogen, serum IL-6, CK, and LDH levels were significantly increased AE compared to BE in all groups (p < 0.05). Plasma fibrinogen levels were significantly decreased AH compared to AE in all groups (p < 0.05), and the HNN group had a significantly lower AH compared to BE (p < 0.05). Serum IL-6 levels were significantly decreased AH compared to AE in the HNN and HHH groups (p < 0.05). Serum CK levels were significantly decreased AH compared to AE in the HHH group (p < 0.05). Serum LDH levels were significantly decreased AH compared to AE in the HNN and HHH groups (p < 0.05), and the NN and HNN groups had significantly higher AH serum LDH levels compared to BE (p < 0.05). These results suggest that acute exercise in both the NN and HH environments could induce temporary inflammatory responses and muscle damage, whereas HBOT treatment may be effective in alleviating exercise-induced inflammatory responses and muscle damage.

Highlights

Regular exercise training is effective in preventing and relieving the symptoms of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascularInt
These results suggest that acute exercise in both the NN and HH environments could induce temporary inflammatory responses and muscle damage, whereas hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment may be effective in alleviating exercise-induced inflammatory responses and muscle damage
The purpose of this study was to verify the levels of inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), and muscle damage according to normobaric, normoxic and hypobaric, hypoxic exercise environments, and investigate the beneficial effect of HBOT treatment in relieving inflammation, OS, and muscle damage in the recovery phase after acute exercise

Summary

Introduction

Regular exercise training is effective in preventing and relieving the symptoms of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascularInt. Regular exercise training is effective in preventing and relieving the symptoms of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7377; doi:10.3390/ijerph17207377 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7377 disease by reducing the levels of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) within the body, but it can induce numerous other health benefits by increasing skeletal muscle mass [1,2]. Acute exercise, which stresses body tissues, can cause excessive OS accompanied by muscle damage [3,4]

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