Hormonal Dynamics in Response to Short-Term Hypoxia Exposure: Cortisol and Prolactin Regulation as Adaptive Mechanisms.

BACKGROUND

The better availability of altitude rooms in hotels and sports centers led to increased people speculating that "over-the-weekend" hypoxia might contribute to overall psychological and physical well-being.

PURPOSE

This study investigates the acute stress hormone response in management professionals following short-term exposure to normobaric hypoxia, amidst the increasing use of hypoxic conditions in stress-relief programs, which lack scientific validation.

METHODS

Twelve healthy male subjects, employees in management positions (mean age 34.72±7.43y), voluntarily agreed to participate in the within-subjects design study and were subjected to sleep and stay in normobaric hypoxia (simulating oxygen pressure at 2800m) twice, for at least 12h per exposure, over a total period of 48 hours to simulate popular "manager weekend hypoxia stays". The protocol included blood sampling 48 hours before intervention, on the morning of intervention, and immediately after finishing the hypoxia stay. We determined the concentrations of total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), prolactin, and cortisol.

RESULTS

A significant increase in prolactin (p=0.021) and cortisol (p=0.039) concentrations and a decrease in DHEA-S to cortisol ratio (p=0.034) were observed.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Short exposure to normobaric hypoxia induces alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-gonadal axis showing significant stress response even though otherwise was expected due to participants' stressful jobs.