Relationship between blood oxygenation and lactate in human skeletal muscle revealed by near-infrared spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy (LAIRS) is a focus of attention in the research field of biomedical photonics. The concentration of HbO(2) in human skeletal muscle has been measured non-invasive LAIRS using a portable tissue oximeter continuously when the subjects did incremental exercises on a power bicycle. Blood lactate is one of traditional physical research subjects which is applied most widely. We study blood volume in the tissue of sportsmen when they are subjected by the incremental physical load, simultaneously detecting some parameters such as the heart rate, maximal oxygen absorption and the concentration of blood lactate. As the intensity of exercises was heightened, the concentration of blood lactate and blood volume in tissue increased, while the concentration of HbO(2) decreased. Thus the rudimental characteristics of energy consumption and supply during hypoxia and aerobic exercises are investigated. By discovering the relationship between blood lactate in human skeletal muscle and blood oxygenation, a novel approach for measuring blood lactate non-invasively and assessing the sports ability could be provided. Furthermore, it is possible to assess the fatigue state with tissue oximeter to monitor the human sports intensity non-invasively and dynamically.