Table 6.
The blood biomarkers of the athletes in the two study groups at the three time points of the study.
| Parameter (Reference Value) |
Group | Time Point | p1 Value | p2 Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | T2 | T3 | ||||
|
White Blood Cells
(×103/µL; 3.8–11) |
HA | 4.77 ± 0.97 | 4.51 ± 0.97 | 4.11 ± 1.04 | 0.774 | 0.129 |
| NA | 5.90 ± 1.50 | 6.11 ± 1.46 | 5.86 ± 1.34 | 0.235 | ||
|
Monocytes
(%; 2.5–10) |
HA | 7.72 ± 1.01 | 7.46 ± 1.21 | 7.47 ± 1.21 | 0.1364 | 0.268 |
| NA | 6.56 ± 1.67 | 6.14 ± 1. 13 | 7.54 ± 2.21 | 0.409 | ||
|
Lymphocytes
(%; 20–51) |
HA | 31.11 ± 9.14 | 31.31 ± 9.06 | 31.01 ± 8.61 | 0.124 | 0.182 |
| NA | 31.51 ± 7.50 | 31.35 ± 7.05 | 36.98 ± 7.91 | 0.471 | ||
|
Red Blood Cells
(×106 mL−1; 4.5–5.7) |
HA | 5.32 ± 0.33 | 5.31 ± 0.34 | 5.34 ± 0.26 | 0.354 | 0.103 |
| NA | 5.25 ± 0.40 | 5.22 ± 0.49 | 5.27 ± 0.33 | 0.249 | ||
|
Hemoglobin
(gxdL−1; 13–17) |
HA | 15.21 ± 1.11 | 15.53 ± 0.97 | 16.15 ± 0.85 a | <0.05 | <0.05 |
| NA | 15.33 ± 0.72 | 15.26 ± 0.85 | 14.97 ± 0.92 | 0.89 | ||
|
Hematocrit
(%; 40–50) |
HA | 45.77 ± 2.79 | 46.00 ± 2.53 | 46.14 ± 2.22 | 0.234 | 0.127 |
| NA | 46.01 ± 2.46 | 45.69 ± 2.25 | 45.57 ± 2.51 | 0.127 | ||
|
Reticulocyte Hemoglobin
(pg; 31.9–41.6) |
HA | 342.13 ± 10.08 | 353.12 ± 9.01 a | 356.75 ± 10.67 a | < 0.05 | <0.05 |
| NA | 344.09 ± 7.11 | 343.09 ± 5.91 | 342.76 ± 9.13 | 0.236 | ||
|
Reticulocytes
(%; 0.6–2.4) |
HA | 1.32 ± 0.33 | 1.61 ± 0.41 a | 1.65 ± 0.47 a | <0.05 | < 0.05 |
| NA | 1.30 ± 0.27 | 1.30 ± 0.91 | 1.29 ± 0.52 | 0.157 | ||
|
Erythropoietin
(mU/mL; 2.6–18.5) |
HA | 6.18 ± 1.59 | 6.69 ± 0.88 a | 7.05 ± 1.13 a b | <0.05 | <0.05 |
| NA | 6.23 ± 1.34 | 6.21 ± 1.23 | 6.19 ± 1.65 | 0.265 | ||
Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Differences between the groups and time points with p values < 0.05 were statistically significant, according to the Scheffé test: a, significant difference vs. T1; b, significant difference vs. T2; HA, hypoxic intervention group; NA control group; T1, baseline; T2, day 28; T3, day 56; p1, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures for each group separately; p2, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures of two factors to verify the existence of an interaction effect (condition × time).