PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Min-Yeong Kang
AU  - Bernard Sapoval
TI  - Prediction of maximal oxygen uptake at high altitude
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA1583
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA1583
VI  - 48
IP  - suppl 60
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA1583.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA1583.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48
AB  - The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) at high altitude is a key quantity in alpine medicine but has not been explained yet in terms of physiological parameters – ventilation, cardiac frequency, PvO2 and inhaled gas O2 pressure.Here, a novel theoretical approach (Kang, M.-Y. et al. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 2015; 205:109-119) is used to predict the altitude dependence of VO2max on the above parameters values. By solving interactively the equations for O2 convection-diffusion in airways and O2 saturation in the pulmonary capillaries, the method yields the corresponding values of VO2max.Using a quadratic fit of ventilation and perfusion data from literature (see the figure inset) and under the condition PvO2 = 20 mmHg, VO2max at different altitudes is computed. In the figure, it is shown as a percentage of sea level value. The predicted VO2max, shown in red, has a curvilinear decrease with increasing altitude, which exhibit very good agreement with experimental data. Both prediction and experiments gives around 80% decrease in VO2max at Mt. Everest altitude.Further investigation shows that the role of ventilation on VO2 becomes much more significant at high altitude. This explains why hyperventilation is the most important feature of acclimatization to altitude (West, Integr. Comp. Biol. 2006; 46:25-34).