UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
FACULTY OF KINESIOLOGY & PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Human Physiology Research Laboratory
55 Harbord St, Room 60
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2W8
TITLE
Influence of hypoxemia development on perceived exertion and cycling performance
WHAT IS THE RATIONALE AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY?
Exercising in an environment where the oxygen supply is limited has been shown to decrease exercise
performance, but the causes of this impairment continue to be debated. Traditionally it was believed that low
levels of inspired oxygen directly impaired the muscle’s ability to contract. Recently however, the central
nervous system (brain) has been shown to influence the intensity at which one chooses to exercise when
inspired oxygen levels are low. Therefore the purpose of this study is to clarify the role of the nervous system
in the fatigue process when oxygen availability is limited.
AM I ELIGIBILE TO PARTICIPATE?
To be eligible for this study, you must be between 18 and 40 years of age. You must be a male or female
competitive cyclist familiar with maximal and submaximal efforts on a bike. You must be free from conditions
that can be aggrevated by exercise as identified by a standard health questionnaire (PAR-Q+). You will not be
allowed to participate in this study if you have been diagnosed with a metabolic, pulmonary, or cardiovascular
disorder, are known to be sensitive to altitude sickness or will be traveling by plane 7 days prior to or at any
time throughout the duration of the study. In addition, you must not have a resting heart rate and blood
pressure above 95 bpm and 145/90 mmHg respectively.
WHAT WOULD I HAVE TO DO?
If you are accepted into this study and if you choose to participate, you must adhere to strict conditions:
 No food or drink (besides water) for two hours before any testing
 No caffeine (pop, coffee, tea, chocolate) for 12 hours before any testing
 No vigorous exercise for 24 hours before any testing
You will be asked to report to the laboratory in a well-rested and well-hydrated state and be free from injury
or illness. Failure to follow these conditions may prevent us from testing you. During this study, you will be
asked to report to the Human Physiology Research Laboratory at U of T on six occasions over a 3-week period
where you will undergo:
 Measurements of height, weight, total body water, and skinfold thickness
 A direct determination of your VO2max on a cycle ergometer
 Five sessions of maximal and submaximal exercise on a cycle ergometer up to 30 min in duration
 Monitoring of heart rate with a heart rate monitor
 Non-invasively measuring tissue oxygenation of your thigh and brain
 Non-invasively measuring blood oxygenation
 Non-invasively measuring muscle electrical activity
 Blood sampling from your earlobe
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?
Please contact Saro Farra by phone at 647-224-7276 or by email at [email protected]