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Biomedical subjects

H Spielvogel

Publications and source records attributed to H Spielvogel.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Effect of altitude on the lung function of high altitude residents of European ancestry.

The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), and ratio of FEV to FVC (%FEV) of 161 male and 158 female youths of European ancestry who were born at high altitudes and who were residing in La Paz, Bolivia (average altitude of 3,600 m) were examined and compared with those for lowland Europeans and highland Aymara Amerindians. FVC and FEV were significantly larger (p less than .001) in the La Paz Europeans than in two lowland control samples of European ancestry, with the relative differences between samples varying from small (1.5-4.1%) to moderate (7.7-11.9%). It could not be determined whether the enhanced lung volumes of the La Paz European children were acquired through an accelerated development of lung volumes relative to stature during adolescence, as is the case for Amerindian highlanders. After controlling for body and chest size, FVC and FEV were significantly smaller in the La Paz Europeans than in highland Aymara (p less than .001), suggesting that the lung volumes of the Aymara are influenced by factors other than simply growth and development at high altitude. Finally, as found in Amerindians, chest size is an important determinant of intra-individual variation in lung function among highland Europeans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Anaerobic metabolism during pubertal development at high altitude.

In a previous study we showed that there were no differences in anaerobic metabolism between groups of 11-yr-old children living at high (3,700 m) and low (330 m) altitudes. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in this metabolism during pubertal development. We compare blood lactate concentration ([L]) after maximal bicycle exercise in 20 boys acclimatized to high altitude (HA, 12 yr old) and at low altitude in 14 boys (LA1, 12 yr old) and in 13 boys (LA2, 14 yr old). The subjects had the same level of physical fitness and the same nutritional and socioeconomic status. Pubertal development was identified by salivary testosterone concentration ([T]). Results (means +/- SE) showed 1) at the age of 12 years, [L] and [T] in HA were significantly higher than in LA1 ([L] was 9.2 +/- 0.5 vs. 6.8 +/- 0.5 mmol/l, [T] was 233 +/- 66 vs. 132 +/- 30 pmol/l), 2) [L] and [T] in HA were statistically the same as in LA2, and 3) a linear relationship between [L] and [T] was significant (P less than 0.05) in all HA and LA subjects. This suggests that the higher [L] in 12-yr-old boys living at HA could result in an enhanced anaerobic metabolism linked to an earlier gonadal maturation evaluated by testosterone level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Iron deficiency anemia and steady-state work performance at high altitude.

Thirty-seven young adult male highland residents at 3,600-4,100 m in La Paz, Bolivia, performed short-duration cycle ergometry at 60, 80, and 100% of maximal voluntary O2 consumption (VO2max). Three groups of subjects representing the high-altitude population mean hemoglobin (Hb), the 10th percentile Hb, and below the 1st percentile were examined to test the hypothesis that the relationship of exercise performance to Hb concentration is similar to those relationships established at low altitude. Anemic individuals (n = 8) had 23% lower voluntary VO2max and 28% lower maximal work loads compared with controls (n = 17) or marginally anemic subjects (n = 12) although the relationship of VO2 to work load was similar. Anemic individuals maintained significantly higher arterial O2 partial pressures and Hb saturations during heavy exercise (90 +/- 0.5 vs. 85 +/- 0.6%) in conjunction with a greater heart rate up to maximal effort. A significantly decreased erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG)-to-Hb molar ratio (0.70 +/- 0.04 vs. 1.12 +/- 0.06), suggestive of a left-shifted dissociation curve in anemics, is in contrast to the expected right-shifted curve. Moderate anemics were similar to controls. Anemic individuals did not differ in arterial lactate concentration from controls at absolute work loads; anemics had significantly lower arterial lactate concentrations at maximal effort than controls with no differences in the work load-to-lactate relationship. In conclusion, O2 transport during exercise at high altitude seems unaffected by the Hb concentrations as low as the 10th percentile of the population mean.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Oxygen debt in submaximal and supramaximal exercise in children at high and low altitude.

The effect of high altitude (HA) on O2 debt and blood lactate concentration [( L]) was examined in 10- to 13-yr-old children who exhibited the same level of physical fitness. Fifty-one children acclimatized to HA (3,700 m) were compared with 40 children living at low altitude (LA, 330 m) during submaximal (20-95% maximal aerobic power, MAP), maximal and supramaximal (115% MAP) bicycle exercise. Results showed that 1) maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) and maximal heart rate were significantly (P less than 0.001) lower at HA than at LA by 15% and 11 beats X min-1, respectively; 2) for a given absolute work load, O2 debt was higher at HA than at LA, and the slopes of the linear relationships between O2 debt and O2 uptake were significantly higher at HA; 3) when related to percent of VO2max, O2 debts in HA and LA were similar; for 115% MAP maximal O2 debt and [L] were not significantly different (maximal O2 debt, 45.7 +/- 2.7 and 45.9 +/- 3.8 ml X kg-1; [L], 6.0 +/- 0.3 and 6.7 +/- 0.5 mM); and 4) linear relationships between maximal O2 debt and [L] were the same at HA and LA. This suggests that HA did not modify the anaerobic capacity in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Maximal exercise capacity in adolescent European and Amerindian high-altitude natives.

Forty-seven highland natives were given maximal exercise tests on a treadmill ergometer at 3,600 m. The subjects were grouped into four subsamples on the basis of ethnicity (European vs. Aymara) and age (young vs. old adolescent). Two-way ANOVA indicated that VO2max adjusted for body size did not differ significantly between ethnic groups but was significantly larger in older than younger boys within each ethnic group (p less than .05). This finding does not support the hypothesis that Amerindian highland natives have adapted genetically to hypoxia but is consistent with the hypothesis that the relatively high VO2max's of highlanders are acquired by developmental adaptation. Several measures of ventilation and oxygen transport capacity differed significantly between ethnic groups, suggesting that growing European and Aymara boys may respond somewhat differently to the stress of high-altitude hypoxia. However, despite these differences, VO2max, an integrated measure of the overall functional capacity of the oxygen transport system, did not differ significantly between ethnic groups, suggesting that both groups are equally capable of meeting the body's oxygen requirements during maximal exercise at high altitude.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Distribution of hemoglobin and functional consequences of anemia in adult males at high altitude.

In order to assess better the normal hemoglobin (Hb) range among adult males at high altitude, a hematological survey was completed in La Paz, Bolivia (3700 m). Two statistical methodologies were utilized to identify the anemic and polycythemic contributions to the Hb distribution of normal healthy men (n = 526). The Hb of normal men has a Gaussian distribution with mean and SD of 18.8 +/- 1.4 g/dl. Cutoff levels of 15.8 and 22.0 g/dl Hb were selected to identify the anemic and polycythemic subpopulations. Iron status in this high altitude population is similar to that of low altitude populations, and iron deficiency is the cause of most anemia found. An exercise test on a subsample of 56 men was utilized to validate the anemia cutoff level. Anemics as identified by the 15.8 g/dl Hb level showed a significant reduction in aerobic capacity as measured by PWC150 and estimated VO2max.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The physical growth of urban children at high altitude.

The physical growth of urban Aymara children residing in La Paz, Bolivia (3,600 m) is described and compared with Amerindian children residing at low and high altitudes and with low-altitude U.S. children. The sample consists of 227 males (10.6-19.7 yr) and 219 females (11.2-19.8 yr). The urban La Paz children were taller at all ages than rural high altitude Amerindian children but similar in stature to urban high altitude children from Peru. The variation in stature among the high altitude populations was considerable, amounting to average differences between the tallest and shortest samples of about 10 cm in males and 8 cm in females. In addition, stature in the two urban high altitude samples was similar to that of rural low-altitude Amerindians. This overlapping of the distributions of stature in high- and low-altitude populations could easily confound comparisons designed to determine the effects of hypoxia on physical growth. La Paz Aymara children had considerably smaller chest sizes relative to stature than high-altitude Quechua children. However, the available data indicates that relative chest sizes are similar in Aymara and Quechua adults, suggesting that the process by which large chests are achieved may differ between these Andean populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Regional distribution of pulmonary blood flow in normal high-altitude dwellers at 3,650 m (12,200 ft).

Simultaneous isotope dilution curves were recorded from the right upper (QRUZ) and right lower lung zones (QRLZ) by surface scanning in the sitting and recumbent positions in 15 normal high-altitude-born (HAD) males and in 1 HAD female as well as from 3 male newcomers, using 10 muCi of 131I-HSA as a bolus injection into the right ventricle. Similar information was also obtained at sea level from 5 normal males. The mean percent distribution of total pulmonary blood flow (Q) to RUZ and RLZ in the two body postures indicate (1) that in the vertical position RUZ in males receives about 17% of Q regardless of altitude and elevation in mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) in HAD of 8.6 mm Hg above that extant at sea level; (2) recumbency at high altitude showed QRUZ also to be lower than at sea level; (3) elevation in MPAP at altitude has no significant effect on changing the sea-level distribution pattern of pulmonary blood flow.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Maximal aerobic power in trained youths at high altitude.

The sample for this study consisted of 25 males and 19 females between the ages of 8.8 and 19.5 years. The subjects were healthy, well nourished and trained swimmers residing in La Paz, Bolivia (mean altitude 3700 m). The purpose of this study was to provide normative values for the work capacity of high-altitude youths. Mean VO2 max was 46.9 ml/kg/min in males and 39.3 ml/kg/min in females. VO2max increased significantly with age in males but not in females. Mean VO2max tended to be 10-20% lower in the swimmers than in sea-level athletes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Work performance of high-altitude Aymara males.

The sample for this study consisted of 28 Aymara males between the ages of 15 and 43 years. The subjects were rural high-altitude natives who were temporarily working as porters in La Paz, Bolivia (3700 m). Mean VO2max was 46 X 5 ml/kg/min. There was a significant negative relationship between VO2max and age in adult porters . However, there was also a significant positive relationship between maximal work output and age and a significant negative relationship between VO2 during submaximal exercise and age. Relative work intensity (VO2/VO2max) during submaximal exercise did not change significantly with age. Thus, even though VO2max decreased significantly with age, these data suggest that there may not be a substantial decrease with age in the adaptive status of these men. Minimal support was found for the hypothesis that chest size in Andean highlanders influences the effectiveness of the oxygen transport system.

Acclimatization↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of altitude on the physical growth of upper-class children of European ancestry.

The physical growth of 351 upper-socioeconomic-status children (9-20 years) of European ancestry residing in La Paz, Bolivia (altitude 3600 m) is described and compared with that of lowland children of similar background. The purpose is to evaluate the independent effect of continual exposure to atmospheric hypoxia during the period of growth and development on linear growth. The data presented here indicate that the effect of hypoxia on achieved stature ranges from minimal in males and none in females to a maximum of 3 cm in both sexes. The magnitude of this effect is relatively small compared to the potential effect of other factors which affect the growth of highland children.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lung function of young Aymara highlanders.

The patterns of development of FVC, FEV and %FEV are examined in 217 male and 195 female youths of Aymara ancestry residing in La Paz, Bolivia (altitude 3600 m). The data provide some evidence of an acceleration in the development of lung function relative to stature in Aymara children, beginning during early adolescence, and also indicate that there is a strong relationship between lung function and chest dimensions in Aymara children. Similar patterns have been observed among Quechua youth. However, despite the general similarity between Quechua and Aymara youths in the development of lung function, there are potentially important differences between them. In particular, the magnitude of the acceleration of lung volumes relative to stature among Aymara children appears to be considerably less than is exhibited by highland Quechua children. In addition, shorter Quechua boys have FVC values similar to those of shorter Aymara boys, despite having significantly larger chests, while taller Quechua boys have considerably larger FVC values than taller Aymara boys, without a corresponding increase in chest size relative to stature. Thus, although lung volumes and chest dimensions are closely related in both groups, the development of lung function to chest size of Quechua boys appears to be somewhat different from that of Aymara boys and, in particular, to be amplified during adolescence in response to factors other than simply an increase in chest size.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Maximal aerobic power in high-altitude runners.

Maximal aerobic power (VO2max) was assessed in seven male and one female middle- and long-distance recreational runners residing in La Paz, Bolivia (3600 m). All runners were born and raised at high altitudes (> 2500). Mean VO2max in the male runners was 60.8 ml/kg/min while VO2max in the female runner was 55.5 ml/kg/min. These values are higher than in any previously reported sample of either trained or untrained high-altitude natives. In addition, mean VO2max in the La Paz male runners and VO2max in the La Paz female runner were very similar to those found in comparable low-altitude samples of recreational athletes, suggesting that the cardiorespiratory systems of both normally active and highly active native Andean highlanders are capable of successfully responding to the stress of hypobaric hypoxia. This ability may have both developmental and genetic components.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The importance of socioeconomic and nutritional conditions rather than altitude on the physical growth of prepubertal Andean highland boys.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of hypoxic stress on the physical growth of prepubertal Bolivian boys (10-11.5 years of age) of the same socioeconomic and nutritional conditions. The subjects consisted of 143 boys living in La Paz (altitude 3600 m, n = 67) and Santa Cruz de la Sierra (altitude 420 m, n = 76). Among the boys studied at high altitude, 23 were from a high socioeconomic background (HA1) and 44 from a low socioeconomic background (HA2). The group studied at low altitude consisted of 47 boys from a high socioeconomic background (LA1) and 29 from a low socioeconomic background (LA2). A scientific evaluation of the nutritional status of the boys was realized from specific anthropometric characteristics (height, body weight, upper arm muscle circumference, body fat mass and body mass index) and haematological (haematocrit, haemoglobin, serum iron, serum ferritin, red cell protoporphyrin, transferrin saturation) and biochemical (total serum protein, albumin and prealbumin) parameters. At high as at low altitudes, the biometric characteristics of boys from a low socioeconomic background were significantly lower than those of boys from a high socioeconomic background. The physical growth of HA2 and LA2 boys was delayed by approximately 2 years. All the boys had biochemical and haematological parameters within the normal range. Boys from a low socioeconomic background were considered as marginally undernourished and those from a high socioeconomic background as well-nourished. Within the same socioeconomic class there was no nutritional difference between highland and lowland boys. Similarly, and this is the most important feature of this study, there was no difference for the overall biometric characteristics between highland and lowland boys of the same socioeconomic and nutritional status. Therefore, it appears that when socioeconomic and nutritional conditions are taken into account, there is no effect of hypoxic stress on the physical growth of prepubertal Andean highland boys.

Altitude↗