Going high to keep body mass low: How post-exercise exposure to high altitude influences calories in and calories out
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Keywords
energy balance, body weight, health, obesity, running, hypoxia
Department
Sports Medicine
Major
Sports Medicine
Abstract
Introduction: A healthy body mass contributes to a positive quality of life, and for overweight/obese individuals, weight loss of even modest proportions improves blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. One approach to promoting body mass regulation is to pair exercise with high altitude, which upregulates metabolic processes and could thereby increase calories burned. Additionally, evidence demonstrates that high altitude stimulates production of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. Whereas exercising at high altitude may compromise exercise intensity and duration, recovering at high altitude retains the integrity of exercise and elevates metabolism. The purpose of this study was to apply high altitude as a post-exercise intervention to increase caloric expenditure and decrease appetite.
Methods: Fourteen healthy adults ran for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity on two occasions. Following exercise, participants recovered for 30 minutes, breathing either sea-level air or low oxygen air simulating high altitude (equivalent to ~14,000 ft). Blood samples and hunger ratings were collected pre-exercise and post-recovery. Heart rate was recorded throughout exercise and recovery and used to calculate caloric expenditure.
Results: Post-exercise energy expenditure was higher (P = 0.03) following high altitude recovery (139 + 15 kcal) compared to sea-level recovery (98 + 11 kcal). Participants reported a lower desire to eat when they recovered in the high altitude environment (P = 0.01), though post-recovery leptin concentrations were similar between the two conditions (P = 0.13).
Conclusions: Post-exercise exposure to a simulated high altitude environment represents a promising method for increasing daily caloric expenditure and lowering appetite.
Faculty Mentor
Hunter Paris
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative, Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
24-3-2023 2:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2023 4:00 PM
Going high to keep body mass low: How post-exercise exposure to high altitude influences calories in and calories out
Waves Cafeteria
Introduction: A healthy body mass contributes to a positive quality of life, and for overweight/obese individuals, weight loss of even modest proportions improves blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. One approach to promoting body mass regulation is to pair exercise with high altitude, which upregulates metabolic processes and could thereby increase calories burned. Additionally, evidence demonstrates that high altitude stimulates production of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. Whereas exercising at high altitude may compromise exercise intensity and duration, recovering at high altitude retains the integrity of exercise and elevates metabolism. The purpose of this study was to apply high altitude as a post-exercise intervention to increase caloric expenditure and decrease appetite.
Methods: Fourteen healthy adults ran for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity on two occasions. Following exercise, participants recovered for 30 minutes, breathing either sea-level air or low oxygen air simulating high altitude (equivalent to ~14,000 ft). Blood samples and hunger ratings were collected pre-exercise and post-recovery. Heart rate was recorded throughout exercise and recovery and used to calculate caloric expenditure.
Results: Post-exercise energy expenditure was higher (P = 0.03) following high altitude recovery (139 + 15 kcal) compared to sea-level recovery (98 + 11 kcal). Participants reported a lower desire to eat when they recovered in the high altitude environment (P = 0.01), though post-recovery leptin concentrations were similar between the two conditions (P = 0.13).
Conclusions: Post-exercise exposure to a simulated high altitude environment represents a promising method for increasing daily caloric expenditure and lowering appetite.