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Ischaemia-modified albumin during experimental apnoea
Fabrice Joulia1, Mathieu Coulange, Frederic Lemaitre
1UMR MD2, Aix Marseille Université and Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Faculty de Medicine Nord, boulevard Pierre Dramard 13015 Marseille, France., Université de Toulon et du Var, avenue de l'Université, B.P. 20132-83957 La Garde Cedex, France.
Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
|March 20, 2015
Summary
Ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA), a marker of oxidative stress, increases during breath-hold diving. Elite divers show varying IMA levels, suggesting efficient oxygen conservation and hypoxemia resistance.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Sports Science
Background:
- Ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) indicates reactive oxygen species (ROS) release during hypoxemia.
- Breath-hold diving in elite athletes is known to induce ROS production.
- Understanding IMA kinetics during apnea is crucial for assessing physiological stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the changes in IMA serum levels during static breath-hold apnea.
- To compare IMA kinetics between elite divers and non-diver controls.
- To investigate the relationship between IMA levels, apnea duration, and oxygen saturation.
Main Methods:
- Twenty breath-hold divers and twenty non-diver controls participated.
- Blood samples were collected at rest, every minute during apnea, at the end of apnea, and 10 minutes post-apnea.
- Divers were categorized into groups based on breath-hold duration (<4 min and >4 min).
Main Results:
- IMA levels significantly increased after 1 minute of breath-hold and remained elevated until recovery.
- After 3 minutes of apnea, IMA increase was higher in the shorter-duration group (G-4) compared to the longer-duration group (G+4).
- At the end of apnea, no significant difference in IMA levels was observed between groups, despite correlations with apnea duration.
Conclusions:
- IMA levels increase during breath-hold, reflecting hypoxemia-induced oxidative stress.
- Elite divers exhibit efficient oxygen utilization, as indicated by the lack of a direct correlation between peak IMA and best apnea performance.
- IMA serves as a valuable biomarker for assessing physiological resistance to hypoxemia in breath-hold activities.
