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Oct.2022 31
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The Role Of Hypoxia In Strength Training
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Strength training has long been a solid foundation for sports, not just in sports like weightlifting where strength is a major component, but in any sport. The main purpose of strength training is usually to increase strength or muscle strength or to improve muscle hypertrophy. Although high-intensity training (greater than 70% of maximum load, also known as 1RM) is traditionally considered required to stimulate muscle growth and improve strength, there are several strength training methods that can achieve these goals. One approach that has become popular recently is strength training under hypoxia, either at normal pressure (like a hypoxic tent or compressor), or low pressure (like altitude training). Mechanisms That Promote Hypoxic Training Improving muscle strength with high loads is based on the idea that only high loads stimulate fast fibers or type II fibers. However, there is more evidence that hypoxic approaches (such as restricting blood flow leading to local hypoxia, or producing systemic hypoxia) increase fatigue and metabolic stress and accelerate the replenishment of those fast fibers, even when the load is low. In addition, metabolic stress (generally thought to be a massive accumulation of hydrogen ions [H+] and lactate, as well as a drop in pH) leads to high production of anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone or IGF-1, that will promote muscle adaptation. In fact, by means of local hypoxia, such as the blood flow restriction and systemic hypoxia methods we mentioned earlier, a large production of anabolic hormones can be observed.
Also, it is important to emphasize that performance during strength training may be compromised due to reduced oxygen availability, especially resistance, which is the ability to make a muscle contract for prolonged or repetitive periods. However, with hypobaric hypoxia (e.g. altitude training), where the air density is lower, and therefore the aerodynamic resistance, some explosive movements, such as jumping, and throwing, may benefit Adaptation to Strength Training under Hypoxic Conditions Therefore, whole-body hypoxic training can maximize some of the adaptations that strength training produces. Several studies have shown encouraging results regarding the benefits of hypoxic training. One study showed that 8 weeks of low oxygen (inhaled oxygen [FiO2] = 12.7%) elbow extension training (three repetitions per week until fatigued at a 10RM load) produced more High growth hormone concentrations and greater increase in triceps thickness. Another study showed that similar hypoxic training with elbow flexion and extension twice a week for six weeks resulted in more pronounced elbow flexion and extensor hypertrophy than the same training under normal conditions. Another study showed that similar training in hypoxic conditions (elbow flexion and extension twice a week until fatigued under a 10RM load) produced higher concentrations of growth hormone and triceps There was a greater increase in the muscle thickness of the muscle.
Another study showed that leg extension exercises performed under hypoxic conditions of low load (20% RM) increased quadriceps cross-sectional area and hamstrings more than normoxic similar training over 5 weeks. Thus, evidence supports the role of hypoxia in maximizing structural fitness for strength training. However, there is more controversy regarding the benefits of hypoxia on muscle strength (especially maximal strength).
In the aforementioned studies, there was no additional benefit in elbow flexion and extension strength during hypoxic training (10 RM and 10 RM). However, another study found that performing full-body strength training in hypoxic conditions (20 reps over 7 weeks with a FiO2 of 14.3%, doing exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges) made the 1RM squat better than The same training is performed under normoxia, and the improvement is more obvious.
Other studies have found that strength training in hypoxia increases muscle capillary density, resulting in greater improvements in muscle endurance (the ability to maintain repeated or sustained contractions) compared to the same training in normoxia. In Conclusion Just as blood flow restriction can lead to local hypoxia, systemic hypoxia can promote resistance training-induced muscle adaptation, e.g., a low load (20-40% RM) maximizes hypertrophy compared to the same training under normoxia, which is especially important for injured players who cannot perform high-load training.
In addition, hypoxic strength training can improve muscle strength, especially fatigue resistance, by increasing muscle capillary density.
While further research is needed to confirm its suitability for sport-specific use and its potential benefits for blood flow restriction (eg, reduced local stress and the potential for greater anabolic stimulation of systemic exercise), hypoxia may be a potentially very effective method.
