The Effect of Various Modes of Intermittent Normobaric Hypoxia on the Neurological and Hormonal Status of Rats

Hypoxic conditioning (HC) is a novel approach that employs intermittent hypoxia for health and wellness purposes, fundamentally differing from the well-known method of hypoxic training (HT). We compared the effects of various modes of HC and HT on the neurological and antioxidant status and the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and thyroid systems in rats. It was found that HC had a more beneficial effect on the nervous system, which was accompanied by a transient decrease in antioxidant activity in the hippocampus and an increase in blood glucocorticoid levels on the first day. HT inhibited the thyroid function, while conditioning regimens produced a less pronounced effect.