The effects of intermittent hypoxic training on the aerobic capacity of exercisers: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Objective To systematically review the effects of intermittent hypoxic training on the aerobic capacity of exercisers. Methods PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were electronically searched to collect studies on the effects of intermittent hypoxic training on the aerobic capacity of exercisers from January 1, 2000, to January 12, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed by using Stata SE 16.0 software. Results A total of 19 articles from 27 studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the intermittent hypoxic training group had significantly increased maximal oxygen uptake [weighted mean difference = 3.20 (95%CI: 1.33 similar to 5.08)] and hemoglobin [weighted mean difference = 0.25 (95%CI: 0.04 similar to 0.45)]. Conclusion Intermittent hypoxic training can significantly improve the aerobic capacity of exercisers. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.