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Design and conduct of 'Xtreme Alps': a double-blind, randomised controlled study of the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to high altitude

Design and conduct of 'Xtreme Alps': a double-blind, randomised controlled study of the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to high altitude
Design and conduct of 'Xtreme Alps': a double-blind, randomised controlled study of the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to high altitude
The study of healthy human volunteers ascending to high altitude provides a robust model of the complex physiological interplay that emulates human adaptation to hypoxaemia in clinical conditions. Nitric oxide (NO) metabolism may play an important role in both adaptation to high altitude and response to hypoxaemia during critical illness at sea level. Circulating nitrate and nitrite concentrations can be augmented by dietary supplementation and this is associated with improved exercise performance and mitochondrial efficiency. We hypothesised that the administration of a dietary substance (beetroot juice) rich in nitrate would improve oxygen efficiency during exercise at high altitude by enhancing tissue microcirculatory blood flow and oxygenation. Furthermore, nitrate supplementation would lead to measurable increases in NO bioactivity throughout the body. This methodological manuscript describes the design and conduct of the 'Xtreme Alps' expedition, a double-blind randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude in healthy human volunteers. The primary outcome measure was the change in oxygen efficiency during exercise at high altitude between participants allocated to receive nitrate supplementation and those receiving a placebo. A number of secondary measures were recorded, including exercise capacity, peripheral and microcirculatory blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Results from this study will further elucidate the role of NO in adaption to hypoxaemia and guide clinical trials in critically ill patients. Improved understanding of hypoxaemia in critical illness may provide new therapeutic avenues for interventions that will improve survival in critically ill patients.
critical care, exercise, high altitude, hypoxaemia, hypoxia, microcirculation, nitric oxide
1551-7144
450-459
Martin, Daniel S.
3e441b48-9221-4308-8ae6-49cbde20753f
Gilbert-Kawai, Edward T.
1b96b8d0-3068-453a-89fc-6bc87cfbdba5
Meale, Paula M.
92c84a2a-1392-4f4b-bbbd-8cb8009b553f
Fernandez, Bernadette O.
9890aabc-1fe6-4530-a51e-31182e537131
Cobb, Alexandra
7e071e58-7ce9-46e9-b8b8-d201f71a9a02
Khosravi, Maryam
6fd48231-6c18-45ea-9132-784e2cae17cb
Mitchell, Kay
f57f07cd-0e3a-48b2-a871-c436eec325ae
Grocott, Michael P.W.
1e87b741-513e-4a22-be13-0f7bb344e8c2
Levett, Denny Z.H.
4b33b751-32be-4fa3-aaf7-b62e62f08de8
Mythen, Michael G.
940f5be7-e5bc-4a90-94aa-09fdc658caad
Feelisch, Martin
8c1b9965-8614-4e85-b2c6-458a2e17eafd
Martin, Daniel S.
3e441b48-9221-4308-8ae6-49cbde20753f
Gilbert-Kawai, Edward T.
1b96b8d0-3068-453a-89fc-6bc87cfbdba5
Meale, Paula M.
92c84a2a-1392-4f4b-bbbd-8cb8009b553f
Fernandez, Bernadette O.
9890aabc-1fe6-4530-a51e-31182e537131
Cobb, Alexandra
7e071e58-7ce9-46e9-b8b8-d201f71a9a02
Khosravi, Maryam
6fd48231-6c18-45ea-9132-784e2cae17cb
Mitchell, Kay
f57f07cd-0e3a-48b2-a871-c436eec325ae
Grocott, Michael P.W.
1e87b741-513e-4a22-be13-0f7bb344e8c2
Levett, Denny Z.H.
4b33b751-32be-4fa3-aaf7-b62e62f08de8
Mythen, Michael G.
940f5be7-e5bc-4a90-94aa-09fdc658caad
Feelisch, Martin
8c1b9965-8614-4e85-b2c6-458a2e17eafd

Martin, Daniel S., Gilbert-Kawai, Edward T., Meale, Paula M., Fernandez, Bernadette O., Cobb, Alexandra, Khosravi, Maryam, Mitchell, Kay, Grocott, Michael P.W., Levett, Denny Z.H., Mythen, Michael G. and Feelisch, Martin (2013) Design and conduct of 'Xtreme Alps': a double-blind, randomised controlled study of the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to high altitude. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 36 (2), 450-459. (doi:10.1016/j.cct.2013.09.002). (PMID:24028941)

Record type: Article

Abstract

The study of healthy human volunteers ascending to high altitude provides a robust model of the complex physiological interplay that emulates human adaptation to hypoxaemia in clinical conditions. Nitric oxide (NO) metabolism may play an important role in both adaptation to high altitude and response to hypoxaemia during critical illness at sea level. Circulating nitrate and nitrite concentrations can be augmented by dietary supplementation and this is associated with improved exercise performance and mitochondrial efficiency. We hypothesised that the administration of a dietary substance (beetroot juice) rich in nitrate would improve oxygen efficiency during exercise at high altitude by enhancing tissue microcirculatory blood flow and oxygenation. Furthermore, nitrate supplementation would lead to measurable increases in NO bioactivity throughout the body. This methodological manuscript describes the design and conduct of the 'Xtreme Alps' expedition, a double-blind randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on acclimatisation to hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude in healthy human volunteers. The primary outcome measure was the change in oxygen efficiency during exercise at high altitude between participants allocated to receive nitrate supplementation and those receiving a placebo. A number of secondary measures were recorded, including exercise capacity, peripheral and microcirculatory blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Results from this study will further elucidate the role of NO in adaption to hypoxaemia and guide clinical trials in critically ill patients. Improved understanding of hypoxaemia in critical illness may provide new therapeutic avenues for interventions that will improve survival in critically ill patients.

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More information

Published date: 10 September 2013
Keywords: critical care, exercise, high altitude, hypoxaemia, hypoxia, microcirculation, nitric oxide
Organisations: Clinical & Experimental Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 358867
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/358867
ISSN: 1551-7144
PURE UUID: 37cd26f7-24f2-4b94-8d7f-d548cd85d1d1
ORCID for Bernadette O. Fernandez: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6337-0381
ORCID for Kay Mitchell: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6393-8475
ORCID for Michael P.W. Grocott: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9484-7581
ORCID for Martin Feelisch: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2320-1158

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 14 Oct 2013 14:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 04:02

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Contributors

Author: Daniel S. Martin
Author: Edward T. Gilbert-Kawai
Author: Paula M. Meale
Author: Bernadette O. Fernandez ORCID iD
Author: Alexandra Cobb
Author: Maryam Khosravi
Author: Kay Mitchell ORCID iD
Author: Denny Z.H. Levett
Author: Michael G. Mythen
Author: Martin Feelisch ORCID iD

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