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Thin air, thicker blood? hypoxia training may supercharge red blood cell production — at a cost

NCT ID NCT07720960

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Néstor Vicente-Salar Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether exercising in low-oxygen conditions (intermittent hypoxia) can stimulate the body to produce more red blood cells compared to normal-oxygen training. Thirty-two male mountain athletes follow a three-week program, with half training under hypoxia and half under normal air, while all receive daily iron and vitamin supplements. The goal is to see if hypoxia training boosts hemoglobin and red blood cell counts — and whether it dangerously depletes the body's iron reserves.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
intermittent hypoxia training (exercise in low-oxygen conditions) plus daily iron, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin B12 supplements
What this could lead to
If it works, this could help athletes and people with anemia optimize training and supplementation strategies to improve oxygen transport.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial in healthy male athletes only, so results may not apply to women or people with medical conditions. The drop in iron reserves could be a concern if not managed.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

32 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2011

Finished

Jul 2014

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 60 years

Sex

Male participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male sex * Adult age (≥18 years) * Federated mountain sports practitioner (alpinist, trail runner, ski mountaineer, or endurance runner) * Normal hemoglobin levels at screening (≥13 g/dL) * Residence at elevations below 700 m * Provision of written informed consent prior to enrollment * Agreement to comply with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (WMA, 2024 revision) Exclusion Criteria: * Stay at altitudes above 2,000 m within the previous 2 months prior to enrollment * Any form of anemia at screening (hemoglobin \<12-13 g/dL) * Sports-related pseudoanemia * Presence of cardiovascular or respiratory pathologies, as determined by the medically supervised VO₂max exercise test * Female sex

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Hypoxia iron metabolism disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Erythropoiesis Hypoxia Iron metabolism disorders

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University Miguel Hernández of Elche

    Elche, Alicante, 03202, Spain

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