Objective: 

It is known that hypoxic adaptation increases exercise performance. Alterations in antioxidant/oxidant systems by hypoxia and exercise have been reported with several studies. Liver plays a prominent role in antioxidant defense, and is more vulnerable to hypoxia than other organs in the body. Relationship between hypoxia and antioxidative defense in liver is mostly associated with ischemia/reperfusion conditions. However hypoxia can occur in physiologic conditions or can be temporary event in pathologic events.

By present study, it was aimed to search the effects of hypoxic adaptation on exercise performance in sedentary rats in terms of oxidant/antioxidant parameters.

Methods: 

Eight weeks-old Wistar Albino male rats were divided in normoxia (n=6) and hypoxia (n=7) groups. Rats in the hypoxia group were exposed to 10% hypoxia in a hypoxic chamber for 2 days. After the hypoxic exposure, all animals were subjected to exhaustive exercise on a treadmill. Upon exhausted, they were sacrificed by cardiac puncture, and liver samples were collected for analyses of nitrate, malon dialdehyde, and glutathione levels. Analysis of variance was performed by One Way ANOVA. The significancy levels of the differences were analyzed by Mann Whitney U Test. Values are expressed as mean ± S.D. p<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: 

By the hypoxic adaptation, exhaustion time, liver nitrate, and glutathione levels were increased after the exhaustive exercise. Moreover in malon dialdehyde levels in the liver tissue have a tendency to decrease, but this decrement was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: 

Hypoxic adaptation might increase exercise performance in sedentary animals by enhancing antioxidant GSH levels.