Table 1.
Arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) and acid-base status in Australian (AUS) and Bolivian (BOL) football players at near sea-level and during 12 days at 3600 m
| La Paz Day 5 | Santa Cruz | La Paz Day 1 | La Paz Day 3 | La Paz Day 5/7 | La Paz Day 12/16 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PaO2 (mm Hg) | AUS | 71.3±8.5 | 43.9±2.6***, +++ | 43.5±2.1***, +++ | 51.1±3.7***, xxx | 56.1±2.2***, xxx, +++ | |
| BOL | 54.3±2.4***, xxx | 75.7±6.8 | 48.2±3.4*** | 47.9±2.5***, xxx | 51.9±2.2***, xxx | 60.0±2.6***, xxx | |
| PaCO2 (mm Hg) | AUS | 39.7±2.4 | 39.1±2.3 | 35.8±2.3*** | 32.4±2.3*** | 30.7±1.3*** | |
| BOL | 30.5±1.6*** | 39.4±3.0 | 38.7±3.3 | 34.9±2.9*** | 33.3±2.3*** | 31.9±2.0*** | |
| pH | AUS | 7.40±0.03 | 7.40±0.02 | 7.38±0.01* | 7.42±0.03*** | 7.43±0.02*** | |
| BOL | 7.44±0.02*** | 7.41±0.02 | 7.40±0.03 | 7.40±0.02 | 7.43±0.02*** | 7.42±0.02* | |
| Actual bicarbonate (mmol/L) | AUS | 24.8±1.1 | 24.1±1.3 | 20.4±2.0*** | 20.6±1.3***, + | 20.1±0.7*** | |
| BOL | 20.7±1.3*** | 24.1±1.4 | 23.0±1.9** | 20.9±1.3*** | 21.6±1.1*** | 20.5±1.0*** | |
| base excess (mmol/L) | AUS | 0.7±1.2 | 0.1±1.6 | −3.6±1.5*** | −3.3±1.7***, + | −3.4±0.9*** | |
| BOL | −2.8±1.4*** | 0.1±1.1 | −1.1±1.8** | −3.2±1.2*** | −2.1±0.8*** | −3.3±1.1*** |
Significant differences from the near sea-level values are indicated as *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.
Significant differences from the value determined 2 h after arrival at altitude (only for PaO2) are indicated byxxx p<0.001.
Differences between the Australian and Bolivian football players are presented as +p<0.05, +++p<0.001.
PaCO2, arterial partial pressure for CO2.