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Weight-Loss
Losing weight and staying thin are primary concerns
of our society today. Aside from being a major concern
for individuals and their physical appearance, obesity
is a major alarm for doctors in relation to a variety
of health issues with which it tends to coincide
(eg. hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes).
With the emphasis on proper exercise and diet, there
are hundreds of programs and new concepts emerging
everyday aimed at making weight-loss easier and
more efficient.
Hypoxic training ranks among these concepts as possibly
the most effective and universally beneficial method
of promoting weight-loss. Scientists and mountain
climbers alike have known for years that acute and
prolonged exposure to high-altitude leads to weight-loss.
Sherpas and other permanent residents of high-altitude
are inherently thinner and contain less overall
body mass than sea-level residents. The fact is
that through a proper hypoxic exercise regimen,
IHT program, or a combination of the two, individuals
can lose weight quickly and efficiently while maintaining
safety and overall health.
The scientific mechanisms behind weight-loss through
hypoxic training are two-fold. The basis behind
these effects is the creation of a hypoxic state
within the body, measured by arterial oxygen saturation
(Sa02). As described in the general section, hypoxic
exercise or IHT can bring the Sa02 down to 80-85%,
rather than only about 95% with conventional normoxic
exercise. As a result of this lack of oxygen, which
is more severe in hypoxic exercise, the skeletal
muscle is forced to turn to anaerobic metabolism
for energy production.
Thus, the body will burn calories in the form of
fat stores in order to produce energy during exercise.
Also, this method results in increased damage of
myofibrils, experienced as soreness after a workout.
The body will then burn even more calories after
the workout in an attempt to rebuild and fortify
these muscles, thus protecting them for future workouts.
This
is how weight-lifters build muscle and the specific
reason for why they can consume so much food. Moreover,
a hypoxic workout can promote the burning of 3 times
as many calories as a normoxic workout, as calories
continue to be burned for up to 15 hours after the
workout. The graph below provides and nice visual
explanation.
The second mechanism for weight-loss
ties in with the science in the wellness section.
Such extreme reduction of Sa02 (80-85%) promotes
a rejuvenation of the cell’s mitochondria.
The destruction of old dysfunctional mitochondria
is coupled with stimulated production of new healthy
ones. These healthy mitochondria contain genes for
fat metabolism that the old mitochondria have lost
via oxidative damage of mitochondrial DNA. In turn,
the proliferation of new mitochondria provides a
vehicle for increased fat metabolism in energy production
and thus, increased weight-loss.
The beauty of hypoxic training for weight-loss is
its convenience. Hypoxic workouts are more effective
than regular workouts even when performed at moderate
intensity for half the duration. In addition, IHT
programs can promote weight-loss for an individual
in a sedentary and completely relaxed state.
Individuals who take advantage of hypoxic training
for weight-loss purposes can expect the following
benefits:
•
increased weight-loss through burning of
fat and lipid stores •
superior physical fitness •
strengthened immune system •
reduced blood pressure and hypertension •
decreased overall stress and fatigue
Research
This study joins many which have shown
reductions in bodyweight in individuals from sea-level
exposed to high-altitude for prolonged periods
of time. It notes an average 10.2% body weight
reduction in construction workers that reside
at sea-level after working a job for one month
at an altitude of 4600m. The researchers suggest
that exercise centers at high altitude may be
beneficial for people who suffer from obesity.
This review evaluates the ability of high altitude
to influence certain satiety (lack of appetite)
signals within the body in its promotion of weight-loss.
It also notes that these weight-loss promoting
effects are independent of Acute Mountain Sickness.
Exposure to hypoxia results in
a shift of muscle metabolism toward reliance on
carbohydrate and lipid stores for fuel according
to this review on skeletal muscle and hypoxia.
Hypoxic training ranks among these concepts as possibly
the most effective and universally beneficial method
of promoting weight-loss. Scientists and mountain
climbers alike have known for years that acute and
prolonged exposure to high-altitude leads to weight-loss.
Sherpas and other permanent residents of high-altitude
are inherently thinner and contain less overall
body mass than sea-level residents. The fact is
that through a proper hypoxic exercise regimen,
IHT program, or a combination of