Arterial oxygen desaturation response to repeated bouts of sprint exercise in healthy young women

The decline in arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin during exercise has been termed exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH). We examined whether repeated bouts of sprint exercise (SprE) would induce EIAH in healthy young men and women. Ten men and 11 women (20.4 +/- 0.3 year) performed an anaerobic power test (three bouts of 10 s cycling with 120 s intervals) using a cycle ergometer. Arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin measured by pulse oximeter (SpO(2)), heart rate (HR), rate perceived exertion (RPE), and the blood lactate concentration ([La](b)) were assessed at rest, during, and 5 min after repeated bouts of SprE. Women exhibited a lower maximal anaerobic power (MAnP) compared to men (498 +/- 23 vs. 759 +/- 22 watts, respectively, p < 0.01). HR, RPE, and [La](b) in women were comparable with those in men throughout the test. However, the only significant decline in SpO(2) after a single bout of SprE (95.5 +/- 0.7%) from the resting value (97.9 +/- 0.2%) was observed in women, and further declines occurred following heavier SprE (< 95%). In 8 of 11 women, mild to moderate EIAH developed, whereas only 2 men showed mild EIAH. Thus, these findings suggest that repeated bouts of SprE might induce mild EIAH in young women but not men.