Acute Exposure of College Basketball Players to Moderate Altitude: Selected Physiological Responses.

Abstract

Abstract Ten basketball players and two coaches ([Vdot]O2 max = 51.08 ml/kg · min) were studied at their place of residence in Chadron, Nebraska (1,000 m, PB = 661 mm Hg), and 6 days later in Laramie, Wyoming (2,200 m, PB = 584 mm Hg). Subjects rode the bicycle ergometer through several submaximal workloads until voluntary exhaustion. Laramie tests took place within 8 hours after arrival and at the same time of day as the Chadron tests. Submaximal heart rate, oxygen consumption, pulmonary ventilation, carbon dioxide production, respiratory quotient, and perceived exertion were not significantly altered by the altitude change; however, ventilatory equivalent was significantly higher in Laramie (p < .05). The hypoxia-induced decrease in the anaerobic threshold ( workload = 906 kpm/min at both sites) which was hypothesized was not observed. Likewise, resting hematocrit and hemoglobin were not affected by the 1,200 m altitude increment (44.88 vs. 44.53% and 15.39 vs. 15.01 gm%, respectively). Maximum aerobic ...