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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Supramaximal Intensity Hypoxic Exercise and Vascular Function Assessment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2019
Energetic efficiency in trained and sedentary rats after exposure to normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen
Mirit Eynan1, Offir Ertracht, Shiran Yehezkel
1Israel Naval Medical Institute, IDF Medical Corps, Haifa, Israel. estie@idf.gov.il
Introduction:
Contradictory results have been obtained regarding the beneficial effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different combinations of pressure and time in hyperoxia on the energetic efficiency of trained and sedentary rats.
Methods:
At the end of the training period, rats were exposed to one of three protocols: 1) 100% normobaric oxygen for 24 h; 2) HBO at 2 ATA for 4 h; 3) HBO at 2.5 ATA for 6 h. After the hyperoxic exposures, V(O2max) was evaluated and compared with preexposure values.
Results:
The slope of the linear section of the oxygen consumption-velocity curve in the trained rats was significantly steeper after exposure to either 100% normobaric oxygen for 24 h or HBO at 2 ATA for 4 h than before the exposure. The opposite was found for the sedentary rats. After exposure to HBO at 2.5 ATA for 6 h, the slope of the oxygen consumption-velocity curve in the trained rats did not differ from the pre-exposure slope. However, the highest velocity these rats reached was lower than their maximum velocity before this exposure. In the sedentary rats, the slope of the oxygen consumption-velocity curve was found to be steeper after the 2.5 ATA exposure compared with the preexposure slope.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that exposure to 100% normobaric oxygen for 24 h and HBO at 2 ATA for 4 h induces a reduction in the energetic efficiency of trained rats, but improves energetic efficiency in sedentary rats.
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