The Potential of a Low Oxygen Environmental Chamber as an Aid to Exercise Training to Improve Metabolic Health

Obesity is a major global health issue and a primary risk factor for metabolic-related disorders. While physical inactivity is one of the main contributors to obesity, it is a modifiable risk factor with exercise training as an established, non-pharmacological treatment to prevent the onset of metabolic-related disorders, including obesity. Exposure to hypoxia via normobaric hypoxia (simulated altitude via reduced inspired oxygen fraction), termed hypoxic conditioning, in combination with exercise has been increasingly shown in the last decade to enhance blood glucose regulation and decrease body mass index, providing a feasible strategy to treat obesity. Nonetheless, findings from studies investigating the potential for a hypoxic environment to augment the exercise training response and subsequent metabolic health are equivocal. Notably, there is a paucity of information regarding the optimal combination of exercise variables and hypoxic load (i.e. level of hypoxia) to enable an individualized and safe practice of exercising in a hypoxic environment. In the present randomized, single-blind, cross-over study, the investigators will investigate the effects of single-bout of exercise under normoxia (FiO2, 20.9%), moderate (FiO2, 16.5%) and high normobaric hypoxic conditions (FiO2, 14.8%) (60-min cycling session at 90% LT) on 2h OGTT and 24h-glucose level in individuals with overweight. The investigators hypothesize that exercise in combination with hypoxia improves glucose homeostasis in individuals with overweight.