Gokyo Khumbu/Ama Dablam Trek 2012: effects of physical training and high-altitude exposure on oxidative metabolism, muscle composition, and metabolic cost of walking in women

We investigated the effects of moderate-intensity training at low and high altitude on O-2 and kinetics and on myosin heavy-chain expression (MyHC) in seven women (36.3 yy +/- A 7.1; 65.8 kg +/- A 11.7; 165 cm +/- A 8) who participated in two 12- to 14-day trekking expeditions at low (598 m) and high altitude (4132 m) separated by 4 months of recovery.Breath-by-breath O-2 and beat-by-beat at the onset of moderate-intensity cycling exercise and energy cost of walking (C (w)) were assessed before and after trekking. MyHC expression of vastus lateralis was evaluated before and after low-altitude and after high-altitude trekking; muscle fiber high-resolution respirography was performed at the beginning of the study and after high-altitude trekking.Mean response time of O-2 kinetics was faster (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001) and oxygen deficit was smaller (P = 0.001 and P = 0.0004) after low- and high-altitude trekking, whereas kinetics and C (w) did not change. Percentages of slow and fast isoforms of MyHC and mitochondrial mass were not affected by low- and high-altitude training. After training altitude, muscle fiber ADP-stimulated mitochondrial respiration was decreased as compared with the control condition (P = 0.016), whereas leak respiration was increased (P = 0.031), leading to a significant increase in the respiratory control ratio (P = 0.016).Although training did not significantly modify muscle phenotype, it induced beneficial adaptations of the oxygen transport-utilization systems witnessed by faster O-2 kinetics at exercise onset.