Acute altitude exposure and altered acid-base states. II. Effects on exercise performance and muscle and blood lactate.

This study examined the influence of the respiratory alkalosis of acute altitude (AL) exposure alone or in combination with metabolic acid-base manipulations on exercise performance and muscle and blood lactate accumulation. Four subjects exercised for 10 min at 50% and 75% and to exhaustion at 90% of ground level (GL) VO2max, and at the same relative exercise intensities during three exposures to a simulated altitude of 4200 m; (i) normal (NAL), (ii) following 0.2 g.kg-1 ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (BAL), and (iii) following 0.5 g.day-1 ingestion of acetazolamide for 2 days prior to exposure (AAL). Muscle and blood lactate values were similar throughout exercise for GL and NAL. Although muscle lactates were similar among AL conditions blood lactate was reduced for AAL and increased following exhaustive exercise for BAL compared with NAL. Time to exhaustion at 90% VO2max was increased for NAL (10.4 +/- 1.6 min) compared with GL (7.1 +/- 0.2 min). Performance time was decreased for AAL (6.3 +/- 2.8 min) compared with NAL and BAL (12.4 +/- 4.2 min). These data suggest that the induced respiratory alkalosis of acute AL exposure may enhance exercise performance at high relative intensities. In contrast, the ingestion of acetazolamide before AL exposure would have detrimental effects on performance. The mechanism responsible for these changes may relate to the possible influence of altered extracellular acid-base states on intracellular hydrogen ion accumulation and lactate release.