The effects of hypoxia on muscle deoxygenation and recruitment in the flexor digitorum superficialis during submaximal intermittent handgrip exercise.

Background: Decreased oxygenation of muscle may be accentuated during exercise at high altitude. Monitoring the oxygen saturation of muscle (SmO) during hand grip exercise using near infrared spectroscopy during acute exposure to hypoxia could provide a model for a test of muscle performance without the competing cardiovascular stresses that occur during a cycle ergometer or treadmill test. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare acute exposure to normobaric hypoxia versus normoxia on deoxygenation and recruitment of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) during submaximal intermittent handgrip exercise (HGE) in healthy adults.