Hypoxic Training (IHT)
Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) *
Oxygen is essential for life and is the most essential element for our survival. It is well known that hypoxia has lots of adverse effects. So it’s surprising that with the right dose it can actually promote health and longevity, enhance physical performance and even help to create conditions that support healing. Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) is a non-invasive, drug-free therapy, designed to improve human performance and well being by adapting to reduced oxygen. The results are achieved while relaxing at the comfort of your chair. IHT can be used for asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, hypertension, fatigue, nervous system diseases, mood and neurovascular disorders
The procedure:
An IHT session consists of an interval of several minutes breathing hypoxic (low oxygen) air, alternated with intervals breathing ambient (normoxic) or hyperoxic air. The procedure may be repeated several times in variable-length sessions per day, depending on evaluation of the client. Standard practice is for the patient to remain stationary while breathing hypoxic air via a hand-held mask. The therapy is delivered using a hypoxicator during the day time, allowing the dosage to be monitored. Biofeedback can be delivered using a pulse oximeter.
What it is:
Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) is a personally-tailored, therapeutic program which involves breathing oxygen-reduced (hypoxic) air for intervals of several minutes, over the course of 10-30 sessions. Hypoxic training has long been utilized as a performance-enhancing training method for elite athletes; however, established scientific literature suggests that moderate, lower-dose applications of IHT can affect a large range of positive health outcomes for all, including the elderly and people with a variety of ailments, with minimal risk: the scientific literature shows no reported cases of adverse events from clinical use of IHT (Courtney, 2015- unpublished literature review). Research has shown that there can be improvement in immune function, increased anti-oxidant production, enhanced metabolic function, improved glycemic control, as well as better blood flow and breathing. (Singh 1977, Larsen, Lee, Chen et al. 2003). IHT achieves a physiological adaptation similar to what happens when going to high altitude and returning to sea level. In induced altitude acclimatization the ability to transport, metabolite and utilize oxygen improves. Once the body has built the structures such as new capillaries, new blood components, new cells for the heart and lungs, improved mitochondrial function and enzymes to use oxygen, it has increased its functional reserve and can extract more oxygen from lowland atmospheric air. This increased functional reserve can offset fatigue and enhance areas in the body that require oxygen. Some conditions found to improve in high altitude environments include asthma, diabetes, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal disease, and obesity (Singh 1977, Kayser and Verges 2013, Kong, Zang et al. 2014, Wang, Liu et al. 2014).
How it works:
Breathing hypoxic air creates a (controlled) stress, to which the body responds with a number of adaptations. The primary purpose of these adaptations is for the body to make more efficient use of oxygen, in an oxygen-reduced environment. But the variety of adaptive mechanisms triggered by controlled hypoxic exposure have been shown to have significant, positive health outcomes across a range of bodily systems. These include improved oxygenation, better blood circulation, improved mitochondrial function, increased tolerance to various stressors and even toxic chemicals, increased antioxidant production, and reduced inflammation (Kayser and Verges 2013, Verges, Chacaroun et al. 2015). IHT has also been found to mobilize stem cells so that they can move to areas where they are needed (Serebrovskaya, Nikolsky et al. 2011).
Other far reaching effects on general function of the organism occur because of the principle of “cross adaptation’ (Meerson 1993). Adaptation to one type of stress, such as cold, heat, fasting, exercise, or hypoxia will, to some extent, increase the body’s ability to cope with stresses of another type. Stress-related diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, ulceration of the stomach or duodenum, diabetes, dermatological diseases and disordered immunity have all been shown to improve with both exercise and IHT.
IHT has been used effectively with the following conditions: chronic lung diseases, bronchial asthma, hypertension, diabetes, radiation toxicity, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, depression, and in sports.
* - Modified from Rosalba Courtney DO, PhD, Integrative Breathing Therapy. For more information and references visit : https://www.rosalbacourtney.com/intermittent-hypoxic-training-altitude-training-at-sea-level/
REFERENCES
Kayser, B. and S. Verges (2013). “Hypoxia, energy balance and obesity: from pathophysiological mechanisms to new treatment strategies.” Obes Rev14(7): 579-592.
Kong, Z., Y. Zang and Y. Hu (2014). “Normobaric hypoxia training causes more weight loss than normoxia training after a 4-week residential camp for obese young adults.” Sleep Breath18(3): 591-597.
Larsen, J. J., J. M. Hansen, N. V. Olsen, H. Galbo and F. Dela (1997). “The effect of altitude hypoxia on glucose homeostasis in men.” J Physiol504 ( Pt 1): 241-249.
Lee, W. C., J. J. Chen, H. Y. Ho, C. W. Hou, M. P. Liang, Y. W. Shen and C. H. Kuo (2003). “Short-term altitude mountain living improves glycemic control.” High Alt Med Biol4(1): 81-91.
Mateika, J. H. and Z. Syed (2013). “Intermittent hypoxia, respiratory plasticity and sleep apnea in humans: present knowledge and future investigations.” Respir Physiol Neurobiol188(3): 289-300.
Meerson, F. (1993). Essentials of adaptive medicine: Protective effects of adaptation. Geneva, Hypoxia Medical.
Navarrete-Opazo, A. and G. S. Mitchell (2014). “Therapeutic potential of intermittent hypoxia: a matter of dose.” Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol307(10): R1181-1197.