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Comparing cycling world hour records, 1967-1996: modeling with empirical data.

PURPOSE: The world hour record in cycling has increased dramatically in recent years. The present study was designed to compare the performances of former/current record holders, after adjusting for differences in aerodynamic equipment and altitude. Additionally, we sought to determine the ideal elevation for future hour record attempts. METHODS: The first step was constructing a mathematical model to predict power requirements of track cycling. The model was based on empirical data from wind-tunnel tests, the relationship of body size to frontal surface area, and field power measurements using a crank dynamometer (SRM). The model agreed reasonably well with actual measurements of power output on elite cyclists. Subsequently, the effects of altitude on maximal aerobic power were estimated from published research studies of elite athletes. This information was combined with the power requirement equation to predict what each cyclist's power output would have been at sea level. This allowed us to estimate the distance that each rider could have covered using state-of-the-art equipment at sea level. According to these calculations, when racing under equivalent conditions, Rominger would be first, Boardman second, Merckx third, and Indurain fourth. In addition, about 60% of the increase in hour record distances since Bracke's record (1967) have come from advances in technology and 40% from physiological improvements. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: To break the current world hour record, field measurements and the model indicate that a cyclist would have to deliver over 440 W for 1 h at sea level, or correspondingly less at altitude. The optimal elevation for future hour record attempts is predicted to be about 2500 m for acclimatized riders and 2000 m for unacclimatized riders.

Acclimatization↗

Thermoregulation in elite athletes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Exercise causes body temperature to rise and the resulting heat stored becomes a factor limiting exercise performance in hot conditions. Loss of heat by evaporative processes leads to hypohydration which itself can eventually impair performance. This review focuses on thermoregulatory and behavioural processes during sustained exercise in the heat. RECENT FINDINGS: Several studies have implicated cerebral mechanisms in eschewing fatigue due to heat stress. Acclimatization improves performance by affecting heat loss mechanisms, implicating peripheral and central processes. Pharmacological methods of increasing heat tolerance are unacceptable strategies for the athlete, but appropriate precooling measures are effective. SUMMARY: This review highlights the combination of physiological processes that converge in heat stress during extended exercise. Pharmacological ergogenic aids are discouraged due to likely side effects in cerebral function whereas behavioural measures, including precooling the body, have practical support.

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Insects and low temperatures: from molecular biology to distributions and abundance.

Insects are the most diverse fauna on earth, with different species occupying a range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats from the tropics to the poles. Species inhabiting extreme low-temperature environments must either tolerate or avoid freezing to survive. While much is now known about the synthesis, biochemistry and function of the main groups of cryoprotectants involved in the seasonal processes of acclimatization and winter cold hardiness (ice-nucleating agents, polyols and antifreeze proteins), studies on the structural biology of these compounds have been more limited. The recent discovery of rapid cold-hardening, ice-interface desiccation and the daily resetting of critical thermal thresholds affecting mortality and mobility have emphasized the role of temperature as the most important abiotic factor, acting through physiological processes to determine ecological outcomes. These relationships are seen in key areas such as species responses to climate warming, forecasting systems for pest outbreaks and the establishment potential of alien species in new environments.

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Maternal effects in the soft scale insect Saissetia coffeae (Hemiptera: Coccidae).

Effects of maternal environment on offspring performance have been documented frequently in herbivorous insects. Despite this, very few cases exist in which exposure of parent insects to a resource causes the phenotype of their offspring to be adjusted in a manner that is adaptive for that resource, a phenomenon called adaptive transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. I performed a two-generation reciprocal cross-transplant experiment in the field with the soft scale insect Saissetia coffeae (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on two disparate host plant species in order to separate genetic effects from possible transgenerational plasticity. Despite striking differences in quality between host species, maternal host had no effect on overall offspring performance, and I detected no "acclimatization" to the maternal host species. However, there was a significant negative association between maternal and offspring development times, with potentially adaptive implications. Furthermore, offspring of mothers reared in an environment where scale densities were higher and scales were more frequently killed by fungi were significantly less likely to suffer from fungal attack than were offspring of mothers reared in an environment where densities were low and fungal attack was rare. Although S. coffeae does not appear to alter offspring phenotype to increase offspring fitness on these two distinct plant species, it does appear that offspring phenotype may be responding to some subtler aspects of maternal environment. In particular, the possibility of induced transgenerational prophylaxis in S. coffeae deserves further investigation.

Acclimatization↗

Effect of hypoxaemia on water and sodium homeostatic hormones and renal function.

Changes in body fluid homeostasis during acute hypoxaemia suggest a crucial role of renal function in acclimatization processes. Hypoxaemia stimulates sympathetic nervous activity, and also the cardiovascular system is affected with increases in heart rate and cardiac output. In most subjects, a hypoxic ventilatory response produces hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis. Acute hypoxaemia depresses aldosterone secretion secondary to a direct effect on adrenal cells. Also plasma renin is decreased in resting hypoxaemic conditions, but the mechanism remains unknown. These hormonal changes may have the advantage of opposing excessive sodium and water retention, which characterizes acute mountain sickness. Short-term isocapnic or hypocapnic hypoxaemia in spontaneously breathing humans causes moderate if any increases in renal blood flow and only minor changes in GFR. In contrast, renal blood flow and GFR decreases during hypercapnic hypoxaemia. Renal clearance studies in humans after 24-48 hours in altitude hypoxia (4,350 m) demonstrate that glomerular and tubular function is only slightly changed in spite of marked depression of the renin-aldosterone system and increased plasma levels of norepinephrine. However, renal vascular tone may increase most probably secondary to the increased adrenosympathetic activity. In the first hours, acute hypoxaemia may induce an increased excretion of sodium and water. Previous studies suggest that the natriuretic response is caused by decreased reabsorption of sodium and bicarbonate in the proximal tubules secondary to the associated hyperventilation and hypocapnia. After 6 hours, sodium and water excretion is normalized or even depressed, dependent on the severity of acute mountain sickness. In view of the prompt increase in sodium and water excretion found during short-term hypoxaemia, the absence of such a response to more prolonged hypoxaemia suggests an adaptive time-dependent course of renal functional changes in hypoxaemia. Taken together, previous studies suggest that effects of acute hypoxaemia on renal haemodynamics are minor compared with effects on cerebral and coronary circulation. This might be the result of an appropriate resetting of autoregulatory mechanisms that would maintain the role of the kidney as a major sense organ to hypoxaemia and, subsequently, as a mediator of plasma volume regulation and erythropoietin synthesis.

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Effects of lipolytic and antilipolytic drugs on metabolism of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate in brown adipose tissue of cold acclimated rats.

The intracellular level of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and its stimulation in vitro by norepinephrine were studied in brown and white adipocytes from rats adapted to constant or fluctuating cold. Cold acclimatization had no effect on the basal cyclic AMP intracellular content in both tissues, but the level in brown adipocytes was four-fold higher than in the white ones. Addition of norepinephrine in the incubation medium doubled the cyclic AMP content of white adipocytes from control or fluctuating-cold-adapted rats, and enhanced four-fold in constant-cold-adapted rats. In brown adipocytes norepinephrine increased cyclic AMP levels in the first two groups, but had no effects in constant-cold-adapted rats. In the two tissues of control and fluctuating-cold-adapted rats the norepinephrine action was increased by phentolamine and decreased by propranolol. The lack of response to norepinephrine of brown adipocytes from constant cold-adapted rats was not due to the predominance of the alpha component of hormone receptors. Antilipolytic drugs (nicotinic acid, insulin and prostaglandin E2) inhibited the action of norepinephrine on white adipocytes; only prostaglandin E2 had an effect on brown ones.

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Evaluation of the peripheral circulatory status of the neonate during homeothermal adjustment by plethysmo-time-interval.

The plethysmo-time-interval (PTI) is the time interval between the beginning of the QRS complex on an ECG and the upstroke of the pulse wave on a plethysmogram, as measured by pulse oximetry. In the present study, we investigated homeothermal acclimatization to the extra-uterine environment in human neonates using the Coretemp thermometer and a pulse oximeter. Temperature was measured at three sites: the central deep temperature (CDT) on the upper sternum, the peripheral deep temperature (PDT) on the flat part of the left sole of the foot and the surface temperature (ST) at the side of the abdomen. After delivery, CDT and ST were higher than PDT. The difference between CDT and PDT was large at first, but gradually decreased. PDT, initially in the range of 32.4 +/- 0.28 degrees C, reached a stable value (34.4 +/- 0.41 degrees C) at 2.5 h after delivery. PTI was prolonged in parallel with PDT. The difference between CDT and PDT probably reflected the contraction of skin vessels, particularly the arterioles, which occurs as a body defense mechanism against heat loss. As PTI was prolonged in parallel with PDT, we demonstrated objectively that this catch-up phenomenon of PDT after delivery was affected by the increase in skin blood flow as a result of dilatation of peripheral arterioles. It was concluded that PTI can be used to evaluate the peripheral circulatory status of the neonate, even during homeothermal adjustment after birth, by applying a new principle of pulse oximetry that is widely used in neonatal intensive care units.

Acclimatization↗

Body temperature, shivering, blood pressure and heart rate during a standard cold stress in Australia and Antarctica.

1. Four men of European descent were exposed naked to an air temperature of 10 degrees C for 2 hr in Australia, and again after 24 weeks' residence at Mawson, Antarctica.2. Their ability to maintain rectal temperature during the test cold exposure significantly improved at Mawson. Shivering and cold diuresis did not change. The response of skin temperature did not change significantly except for a small increase in toe temperature. Bradycardia caused by the cold exposure was significantly greater at Mawson, but the rise in blood pressure did not change. Spontaneous fluctuations in rectal temperature that occurred during the cold exposure were intensified at Mawson.3. The results confirm those of a previous study at Mawson, and are attributed to general acclimatization to cold. It is suggested that tissue insulation increased as a result of enhanced vasoconstriction.

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Thermoregulation in intensively lactating cows in near-natural conditions.

1. Thermoregulatory reactions of lactating cows (33 kg milk/day) have been measured in summer (25-39 degrees C) and in winter (9.5-24 degrees C) at 3 hr intervals, during four nychthemeral (24 hr) cycles in each season.2. The rectal-to-tympanic temperature gradient increased with rising body temperatures. The seasonal changes were larger for the rectal temperatures than for the tympanic membrane temperatures. These and the significantly lower correlations between rectal temperatures and regulatory responses suggest that in the ruminant rectal temperatures are considerably affected by rumen metabolism and do not represent a reliable index of the regulated temperature.3. In the winter the regulatory responses were correlated with skin temperatures only. In the summer responses were correlated with both skin and tympanic temperatures, excepting for skin water loss.4. The seasonal difference in the effects of skin and tympanic temperatures on regulatory responses was associated with a small change in mean tympanic temperature. The twofold larger nychthemeral fluctuation in the summer tympanic temperature is suggested to cause the seasonal difference in the thermoregulatory mode.5. The winter range of nychthemeral fluctuations in tympanic temperature suggests a range of permitted core thermolability. A wider permitted core thermolability in summer is unlikely to be a mechanism of acclimatization in the cow.

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Economy of locomotion in high-altitude Tibetan migrants exposed to normoxia.

High-altitude Tibetans undergo a pattern of adaptations to chronic hypoxia characterized, among others, by a more efficient aerobic performance compared with acclimatized lowlanders. To test whether such changes may persist upon descent to moderate altitude, oxygen uptake of 17 male Tibetan natives lifelong residents at 3500-4500 m was assessed within 1 month upon migration to 1300 m. Exercise protocols were: 5 min treadmill walking at 6 km h(-1) on increasing inclines from +5 to +15% and 5 min running at 10 km h(-1) on a +5% grade. The data (mean +/- S.E.M.) were compared with those obtained on Nepali lowlanders. When walking on +10, +12.5 and +15% inclines, net V(O2) of Tibetans was 25.2 +/- 0.7, 29.1 +/- 1.1 and 31.3 +/- 0.9 ml kg(-1) min(-1), respectively, i.e. 8, 10 and 13% less (P < 0.05) than that of Nepali. At the end of the heaviest load, blood lactate concentration was lower in Tibetans than in Nepali (6.0 +/- 0.9 versus 8.9 +/- 0.6 mM; P < 0.05). During running, V(O2) of Tibetans was 35.1 +/- 0.8 versus 39.3 +/- 0.7 ml kg(-1) min(-1) (i.e. 11% less; P < 0.01). In conclusion, during submaximal walking and running at 1300 m, Tibetans are still characterized by lower aerobic energy expenditure than control subjects that is not accounted for by differences in mechanical power output and/or compensated for by anaerobic glycolysis. These findings indicate that chronic hypoxia induces metabolic adaptations whose underlying mechanisms still need to be elucidated, that persist for at least 1 month upon descent to moderate altitude.

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Cardiovascular responses of the chicken to seasonal and induced temperature changes.

Blood pressure and cardiac output decline as ambient temperature rises in birds acclimatized to both seasonal- and induced-temperature changes, in contrast to the response usually observed in unacclimatized mammals. The decline in chickens is due to a lowered vascular resistance and blood volume. These circulatory adjustments may be related to the fact that excess heat in birds is dissipated through the respiratory system rather than through the skin.

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Altitude-dependent changes of directional hearing in mountaineers.

This study demonstrates apparent deterioration in the ability to localize sound associated with acute exposure to high altitude in ten subjects on three mountaineering expeditions. Furthermore, the auditory localization errors improved to sea level values after a period of acclimatization. Occurring at altitudes where overt neurological symptoms are not usually seen, impairment of sensory perception may explain the increase in accidental deaths associated with altitude exposure due to disorientation and misjudgment but before hypoxia is evident.

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Acute mountain sickness -- experience on the roof of Africa expedition and military implications.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a potentially severe problem for military exercises and operations and may present in a variety of ways as was the case on the "Roof of Africa" Expedition 1990. Four cases are described and the pathophysiology of AMS is discussed. Gradual acclimatization to increasing altitude will decrease the incidence of AMS, but pharmacological prophylaxis is recommended when time is short, acetazolamide being the drug of choice.

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The BMRES 1984 Medical Research Expedition to the Himalayas.

Twenty-one subjects formed a trekking expedition to study the effects of acetazolamide on exercise performance and acclimatization at high altitude. Subjects were randomized to acetazolamide or placebo on a double blind basis. During ascent to and stay for 6 nights at 4846 m studies were carried out on blood gases, 2,3 diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG), proteinuria, exercise testing, intestinal absorption, purine metabolism and changes in body composition. The results showed beneficial effects of acetazolamide on exercise performance and preservation of muscle mass.

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Sleep and stress in man: an approach through exercise and exposure to extreme environments.

In this paper, the effects of exercise on human sleep (in temperate, cold, and hot climates) are compared with those of exposure to extreme environments (tropical, polar climates). Exercise has two effect: (i) when the exercise load is too heavy or if the subject is not trained to the exercise conditions, the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA) is strongly activated (somatic stress reaction), and a diachronic (delayed) decrease in total sleep time and slow-wave sleep (SWS) occurs with a synchronic (concomitant) sleep disruption (such as a decrease in REM sleep); (ii) a diachronic enhancement of SWS and (or) REM sleep occurs during moderate training and in athletes, with a moderate HPA activation (neurogenic stress reaction). Heat acclimatization (neurogenic stress response) results in a diachronic increase in SWS, contrary to acute heat exposure (somatic stress) which leads to a diachronic decrease in SWS. Nocturnal cold exposure (somatic and (or) neurogenic stress) provokes a synchronic decrease in REM sleep with an activation of stress hormones, which are reduced by previous acclimation (neurogenic pathway); SWS remains undisturbed in the cold, as it occurs at the beginning of the night before body cooling. In conclusion, when the brain can deal with the stressor (neurogenic stress), diachronic increases in SWS and (or) REM sleep occur. When these "central" mechanisms are overloaded, the classical "somatic" stress reaction occurs with diachronic and synchronic disruptions of the sleep structure.

Acclimatization↗

Reduced oxygen uptake during steady state exercise after 21-day mountain climbing expedition to 6,194 m.

We investigated the effect of a 21-day climbing expedition to 6,194 m on the oxygen uptake (V022) and leg blood flow (LBF) responses to submaximal exercise in five healthy, fit men during two-leg kicking exercise a 0-W and 50-W. Tests were completed 1 week before and 3 days after altitued acclimatization. The adaptation of VO2 at exercise onset was described by the time to 63% of the new steady state. Steady state VO2 during 50-W exercise was less post-climb (1290+/- 29 mL/min, mean +/- SE) than pre-climb (1413+/- 63 mL/min, P <.05). VO2 adapted more slowly at the onset of 50-W exercise post climb. There were no differences in the steady state LBF during the 50-W exercise, the increase above baseline, or the adaptation post-climb. Respiratory exchange ratio was greater at 50-W post-climb compared to pre-climb. Reduced steady state V02 during exercise after exposure to high altitude is consistent with an increase in metabolic efficiency.

Acclimatization↗

Central and peripheral factors in thermal, neuromuscular, and perceptual adaptation of the hand to repeated cold exposures.

We investigated the role of central and peripheral factors in repeated cold exposure of the hand and their effects on temperature response, neuromuscular function, and subjective thermal sensation. Eleven subjects immersed their left hand repeatedly in 8 degrees C cold water for 30 min, 5 d/week, for 2 weeks. Before and following the 2 weeks of exposure, neuromuscular function, blood markers, thermal sensation, and temperature responses of both acclimated (left) and control (right) hands were tested. Minimum index finger temperature pre-acclimation was 10.9 +/- 3.4 degrees C and 10.0 +/- 2.0 degrees C in the left and right hand, respectively, and did not change significantly post-acclimation (left, 12.8 +/- 4.2 degrees C; right, 10.2 +/- 1.1 degrees C). Neuromuscular function was impaired with cooling, but this was significantly different neither between the hands nor over time. Central factors, measured by catecholamines and changes in temperature and cardiovascular response over time, did not change and there were no differences in responses between the exposed and non-exposed hand over time (peripheral adaptation) nor were there any differences in local factors endothelial-1 and nitric oxide. Subjective thermal comfort was improved and the discrepancy that was found between the change in actual and perceived temperature may increase the risk of cold injury in partially acclimatized individuals, owing to an adjustment in behavioural thermoregulation.

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High-altitude pulmonary edema: current concepts.

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) occurs in unacclimatized individuals who are rapidly exposed to altitudes in excess of 2450 m. It is commonly seen in climbers and skiers who ascend to high altitude without previous acclimatization. Initial symptoms of dyspnea, cough, weakness, and chest tightness appear, usually within 1-3 days after arrival. Common physical signs are tachypnea, tachycardia, rales, and cyanosis. Descent to a lower altitude, nifedipine, and oxygen administration result in rapid clinical improvement. Physiologic studies during the acute stage have revealed a normal pulmonary artery wedge pressure, marked elevation of pulmonary artery pressure, severe arterial unsaturation, and usually a low cardiac output. Pulmonary arteriolar (precapillary) resistance is elevated. A working hypothesis of the etiology of HAPE suggests that hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is extensive but not uniform. The result is overperfusion of the remaining patent vessels with transmission of the high pulmonary artery pressure to capillaries. Dilatation of the capillaries and high flow results in capillary injury, with leakage of protein and red cells into the alveoli and airways. HAPE represents one of the few varieties of pulmonary edema where left ventricular filling pressure is normal.

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