Efficacy of Acute Intermittent Hypoxia on Physical Function and Health Status in Humans with Spinal Cord Injury: A Brief Review

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to reduced movement, causing a sedentary lifestyle and increasing the risk of health problems. Current exercise methods for SCI rehabilitation can be costly and hard to access. A promising alternative is acute intermittent hypoxia (IH), which involves short, repeated exposures to low oxygen, potentially improving physical function efficiently. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is a strategy that may induce spinal plasticity characterized by repeated exposures to low oxygen levels which can be administered during a single session (acute exposure) or over more prolonged periods of time (chronic exposure). IH appears to be a safe, time-efficient, and robust approach to enhance physical function in chronic, incomplete SCI.

• 1
  Short-term IH administration enhances respiratory function in humans with SCI.
• 2
  A single dose of IH led to significant improvements in maximal plantar flexion torque and peak gastrocnemius electromyographic activity.
• 3
  IH combined with walking improved walking endurance more than placebo combined with walking.