TY - JOUR
T1 - A Single 60.000 IU Dose of Erythropoietin Does Not Improve Short-Term Aerobic Exercise Performance in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial
AU - Haider, Thomas
AU - Diaz, Victor
AU - Albert, Jamie
AU - Alvarez-Sanchez, Maria
AU - Thiersch, Markus
AU - Maggiorini, Marco
AU - Hilty, Matthias P.
AU - Spengler, Christina M.
AU - Gassmann, Max
PY - 2020/9/29
Y1 - 2020/9/29
N2 - Erythropoietin (EPO) boosts exercise performance through increase in oxygen transport capacity following regular administration of EPO but preclinical study results suggest that single high dose of EPO also may improve exercise capacity. Twenty-nine healthy subjects (14 males/15 females; age: 25 ± 3 years) were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to assess peak work load and cardiopulmonary variables during submaximal and maximal cycling tests following a single dose of 60.000 IU of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) or placebo (PLA). Submaximal exercise at 40%/60% of peak work load revealed no main effect of EPO on oxygen uptake (27.9 ± 8.7 ml min–1⋅kg–1/ 37.1 ± 13.2 ml min–1⋅kg–1) versus PLA (25.2 ± 3.7 ml min–1⋅kg–1/ 33.1 ± 5.3 ml min–1⋅kg–1) condition (p = 0.447/p = 0.756). During maximal exercise peak work load (PLA: 3.5 ± 0.6 W⋅kg–1 vs. EPO: 3.5 ± 0.6 W kg–1, p = 0.892) and peak oxygen uptake (PLA: 45.1 ± 10.4 ml⋅min–1 kg–1 vs. EPO: 46.1 ± 14.2 ml⋅min–1 kg–1, p = 0.344) reached comparable values in the two treatment conditions. Other cardiopulmonary variables (ventilation, cardiac output, heart rate) also reached similar levels in the two treatment conditions. An interaction effect was found between treatment condition and sex resulting in higher peak oxygen consumption (p = 0.048) and ventilation (p = 0.044) in EPO-treated males. In conclusion, in a carefully conducted study using placebo-controlled design the present data failed to support the hypothesis that a single high dose of EPO has a measurable impact on work capacity in healthy subjects.
AB - Erythropoietin (EPO) boosts exercise performance through increase in oxygen transport capacity following regular administration of EPO but preclinical study results suggest that single high dose of EPO also may improve exercise capacity. Twenty-nine healthy subjects (14 males/15 females; age: 25 ± 3 years) were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to assess peak work load and cardiopulmonary variables during submaximal and maximal cycling tests following a single dose of 60.000 IU of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) or placebo (PLA). Submaximal exercise at 40%/60% of peak work load revealed no main effect of EPO on oxygen uptake (27.9 ± 8.7 ml min–1⋅kg–1/ 37.1 ± 13.2 ml min–1⋅kg–1) versus PLA (25.2 ± 3.7 ml min–1⋅kg–1/ 33.1 ± 5.3 ml min–1⋅kg–1) condition (p = 0.447/p = 0.756). During maximal exercise peak work load (PLA: 3.5 ± 0.6 W⋅kg–1 vs. EPO: 3.5 ± 0.6 W kg–1, p = 0.892) and peak oxygen uptake (PLA: 45.1 ± 10.4 ml⋅min–1 kg–1 vs. EPO: 46.1 ± 14.2 ml⋅min–1 kg–1, p = 0.344) reached comparable values in the two treatment conditions. Other cardiopulmonary variables (ventilation, cardiac output, heart rate) also reached similar levels in the two treatment conditions. An interaction effect was found between treatment condition and sex resulting in higher peak oxygen consumption (p = 0.048) and ventilation (p = 0.044) in EPO-treated males. In conclusion, in a carefully conducted study using placebo-controlled design the present data failed to support the hypothesis that a single high dose of EPO has a measurable impact on work capacity in healthy subjects.
KW - EPO
KW - doping
KW - erythropoiesis
KW - high dose
KW - oxygen transport
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092508508&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.537389
DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.537389
M3 - Article
C2 - 33117187
SN - 1664-042X
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in physiology
JF - Frontiers in physiology
M1 - 537389
ER -