Effect of moderate exertion all hypoxemia on training adaptation

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
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Hi Guys,

Please facilitate my laziness (by not researching more) by sharing your thoughts on the effect of moderate hypoxemia (SaO2 80’s) on exercise. Specifically I’m referring to patients with COPD who have normal resting oxygenation but they drop with exercise. We know that supplemental O2 in this setting won’t necessarily make them live longer (LOTT trial) and I often hear patients say that using O2 is too much of a burden for them to exercise.

I just wonder if you know of any data that suggests that they will have a significantly better adaptation if I encourage them to use the oxygen with exercise.

Ideally using an O2 concentrator in a pulm rehab environment is the best option, but often not affordable…

Thanks,
Brent

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I can make a case that chronic hypoxemia can blunt MPS responses to exercise, as well as being a direct stimulus for atrophy pathways. On the other hand, if patients say wearing oxygen is “too much of a burden for them to exercise” and the alternative is to not exercise, that’s a rather significant trade-off that should be discussed, as maybe a bit of exercise-induced desaturation may be worthwhile for whatever effects of exercise they do get.

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Thanks much for the thoughtful reply.

BTW read your bio: I’m also a W&M chem alum, class of 2000

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Hey, good to have you here!