ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2015
Repeated apnea-induced contraction of the spleen in cyclists does not enhance performance in a subsequent time-trial.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- The relationship between hemoglobin andPloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Muscle Oximetry in Sports Science: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2018Pooled it
- Acute ergogenic effects of repetitive maximal breath-holding maneuvers on hematological and physiological responses: a graded exercise test investigation.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Trial
- Acute and chronic application of novel incremental breath-hold technique increases endurance exercise performance in healthy men and male military personnel.Physiological reports · 2026Article
- Apnoea as a novel method to improve exercise performance: A current state of the literature.Experimental physiology · 2025Review
- Prolonging the Warm-Up Effect by Using Additional Respiratory Dead Space Volume After the Cessation of Warm-Up Exercise.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The application of breath-holding in sports: physiological effects, challenges, and future directions.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Review
- On the mechanisms of stress-induced human spleen contraction: training for a higher blood oxygen-carrying capacity.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Review
- Acute Effects of Breath-Hold Conditions on Aerobic Fitness in Elite Rugby Players.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Effect of exercise intensity and apnea on splenic contraction and hemoglobin increase in well-trained cross-country skiers.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Article
- No differences in splenic emptying during on-transient supine cycling between aerobically trained and untrained participants.European journal of applied physiology · 2022Article
- Acute Effects of the Wim Hof Breathing Method on Repeated Sprint Ability: A Pilot Study.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeSplenic contraction induced by repeated apneas has been shown to increase oxygen availability. Our aim was to determine whether repeated maximal voluntary apnea enhances the performance of cyclists in a subsequent 4-km time trial.
methodsSeven male cyclists [age: 27.1 ± 2.1 years; height: 182 ± 8 cm; body mass: 74.8 ± 9.2 kg; peak oxygen uptake: 56.9 ± 6.6 mL min(-1) kg(-1) (mean ± SD)] performed a 4-km time trial on an ergometer with and without four prior maximal bouts of apnea interspersed with 2 min of recovery.
resultsThe average power output during the time trial was similar with (293 ± 48 W) and without (305 ± 42 W) prior apnea (P = 0.11, d = 0.27). The spleen was reduced in size after the fourth bout of apnea (-12.4 ± 9.0 %), as well as one (-36.6 ± 10.3 %) and 10 min (-19.5 ± 17.9 %) after the time trial, while with normal breathing the spleen was smaller one (-35.0 ± 11.3 %) and 10 min (-23.4 ± 19.7 %) after the time trial. Heart rate; oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production; tissue oxygen saturation; and the lactate concentration, pH, oxygen saturation, level of hemoglobin and hematocrit of the blood were similar under both conditions.
conclusionsOur present findings reveal that four apneas by cyclists prior to a 4-km time trial led to splenic contraction, but no change in mean power output, the level of hemoglobin, hematocrit, oxygen saturation of the m. vastus lateralis or oxygen uptake.
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