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

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Mar 24th, 2:00 PM Mar 24th, 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.