Oxygen boost or cut? study tests HIIT with altered air
NCT ID NCT07551869
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at how breathing air with more or less oxygen than normal during high-intensity interval training (Tabata) affects fitness. 23 healthy men did 9 sessions over 3 weeks on a bike while breathing either oxygen-rich or oxygen-poor air. Researchers measured changes in aerobic capacity, lactate, and perceived effort to understand how oxygen availability influences exercise adaptations.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oxygen (hyperoxic or hypoxic air)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help design better exercise programs that use oxygen levels to boost fitness gains.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early study with only 23 healthy men, so results may not apply to women or people with health conditions. The training is short (3 weeks), so long-term effects are unknown.
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
-
23 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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19 to 35 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * recreationally active * male * 18-35 years old Exclusion Criteria: * engaged in professional or elite-level sports training * cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, or neurological disease * taking medications known to influence cardiovascular or metabolic responses to exercise To minimize potential confounding factors, participants were instructed to refrain from strenuous physical activity, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, and smoking for at least 24 hours before each testing session, in accordance with standard exercise testing procedures recommended in exercise physiology guidelines
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Haute Ecole Bruxelles Brabant - HE2B
Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1040, Belgium
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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