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Hormonal and metabolic responses of older adults to resistance training in normobaric hypoxia

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

In young adults, the hormonal responses to resistance exercise are amplified by normobaric hypoxia. Hormone concentrations and metabolism are typically dysregulated with age, yet the impact of hypoxia on these responses to resistance exercise are uncharacterised. Therefore, this study aimed to characterise the acute and chronic hormonal and metabolic responses of older adults to resistance training in normobaric hypoxia.

Methods

Adults aged 60–75 years completed 8 weeks of resistance training in either normoxia (20.9% O2; n = 10) or normobaric hypoxia (14.4% O2, n = 10) twice weekly at 70% of their predicted 1-repetition maximum. Growth hormone, glucose, lactate, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cortisol, total testosterone, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine were quantified at pre- and post-training, and in the 60 min following the first training session (untrained state) and the last training session (trained state).

Results

Eight weeks of training in hypoxia did not affect the resting levels of the hormones or physiological factors measured. However, hypoxia significantly blunted the acute growth hormone response in the 15 min following the last training session at week eight (43.87% lower in the hypoxic group; p = 0.017). This novel and unexpected finding requires further investigation. All other hormones were unaffected acutely by hypoxia in the 60 min following the first and the last training session.

Conclusion

Chronic resistance training in normobaric hypoxia supresses the growth hormone response to exercise in older adults. All other hormones and metabolic markers were unaffected both acutely and chronically by hypoxia.

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Availability of data and material

Available on request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ANCOVA:

Analysis of covariance

BMI:

Body mass index

CI:

Confidence interval

FPG:

Fasting plasma glucose

FPI:

Fasting plasma insulin

HOMA-IR:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

O2 :

Oxygen

RM:

Repetition maximum

RPM:

Revolutions per minute

VO2max:

Maximal oxygen uptake

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Funding

This research was supported by the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University and the Australian Research Training Program, Australian Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

    G. L. Allsopp, A. B. Addinsall, A. P. Russell & C. R. Wright

  2. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Insitutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    A. B. Addinsall

  3. Centre for Sport Research (CSR), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

    S. M. Hoffmann

Authors
  1. G. L. Allsopp
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  2. A. B. Addinsall
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  3. S. M. Hoffmann
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  4. A. P. Russell
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  5. C. R. Wright
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Contributions

GA, CW, AR and SH contributed to conception of the study and the study design. GA, AA, CW and SH contributed to data collection. All authors contributed to the preparation of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. R. Wright.

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Conflict of interest

None to declare.

Ethical approval

Ethics approval was obtained from the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee (DUHREC; 2016-308). After the benefits and risks of the study were explained to participants, written consent was obtained from all participants.

Consent for publication

All participants and authors consented to the publication of this research.

Additional information

Communicated by Kirsty Elliott Sale.

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Allsopp, G.L., Addinsall, A.B., Hoffmann, S.M. et al. Hormonal and metabolic responses of older adults to resistance training in normobaric hypoxia. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 1007–1017 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04897-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04897-4

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