We promote know-how
ÖGAHM has made it its mission to support scientific staff at universities in selected projects in the fields of alpine, high-altitude, and sports medicine. On this page, you will find a selection of projects that have already been funded.
Institute of Sports Science, University of Innsbruck
Project Title: Effects of different pre-acclimatization protocols on physiological resting and exercise responses in hypoxia
2022 to 2024
Staff: Leoni Lauscher and Hanna Löberbauer (Master’s program in Sports Science, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
The aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the effects of two different pre-acclimatization protocols on physiological exercise parameters in hypoxia. To this end, subjects perform maximal cycle spiroergometry in normoxia and in hypoxia (simulated altitude of 4,000 m). Subsequently, depending on their group assignment, they undergo either one of two pre-acclimatization protocols or no pre-acclimatization (control group). The pre-acclimatization protocols include a) six 3-hour passive exposures at 4,000 m or b) two nights at 3,000 m and 3,500 m, respectively. The tests are then repeated in hypoxia and normoxia. The results will provide information on whether these pre-acclimatization protocols have a positive effect on exercise responses and performance at altitude. In the longer term, this study is intended to contribute to the development of evidence-based strategies for altitude preparation, e.g., for mountaineers and trekkers.
New Appointment at ISAG Hall
Staff member: Anika Köck
Hello dear ÖGAHM members, I am Anika Köck, 25 years old, and I am in my 2nd semester of the Master’s program in Sports Science at the LFU Innsbruck. My strong passion for sports was first awakened during my 11th grade, when I spent a year at a high school in Michigan. During my first dual education (business studies and apprenticeship) at Siemens AG, I was able to spend an exciting time at home and abroad. Above all, my semester abroad in Bolivia sparked my interest in high-altitude medicine. After graduating, I switched to sports science, completed my Bachelor’s degree within 4 semesters at the TU Munich, and during this time gained a lot of practical experience in sports therapy, at the Chair of Sports Medicine, and in a normobaric altitude chamber. Since October 2020, I have been employed full-time in Innsbruck in the project management of oncological studies at the Women’s Clinic. In terms of sports, I prefer being in the mountains, running, cycling, or doing winter sports. I am very pleased to now be working as a scientific staff member for Prof. Schobersberger at the Institute of Sports, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism (ISAG) of the UMIT Tirol – Private University for Health Sciences and Health Technology in Hall via ÖGAHM, and to be able to contribute scientifically in the field of high-altitude medicine. As a project coordinator, my work focuses on the topic of “Cold, Hypoxia, and Performance.”
Project Title: “Repeated five-minute maximal exercise in hypoxia: Dose-response relationship of hyperoxia administration” – September to December 2021
Staff: Anna Wargel and Fabian Sieder (Master’s program in Sports Science, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
This project follows on from the project carried out in 2020 as part of the ÖGAHM young talent promotion scheme. The subjects perform several maximal endurance tests over 5 minutes, comparable to 5-minute races, at a simulated altitude of 3,200 m. During these endurance tests, they receive repeated oxygen administration over different periods of time. The aim of this study is to find out whether there is a “dose-response relationship” for this type of hyperoxia application. The results could contribute to the development of new training concepts, for example for interval training sessions during altitude training, and thus enable even more effective training in various areas of application from high-performance to rehabilitation sports in the longer term.
Project Title: Effects of intermittent hyperoxia on performance during a five-minute high-intensity exercise in normobaric hypoxia – a randomized crossover study – July to December 2020
Staff: Sina Schneider (Master’s program in Sports Science, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
Acute altitude exposure has detrimental effects on performance during maximal and submaximal aerobic exercise. Thus, it is the goal of every athlete to minimize the hypoxia-induced negative effects on performance during aerobic exercise (e.g., during altitude training according to the “Live high – train low” concept). An interesting method to minimize or eliminate the hypoxia-induced negative effects on performance is the supply of supplemental oxygen (hyperoxia) before or during physical exercise. While some studies have investigated these effects during physical exercise in normoxia, there are only a few studies that have focused on exercise under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the effects of repeated short-term oxygen administration (intermittent hyperoxia) rather than continuous administration on performance have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether an intermittent supply of supplemental oxygen (5 times, for 15 seconds each) during a 5-minute maximal endurance exercise in hypoxia (simulated altitude 3,200 m) influences performance compared to a placebo.
Project Title: Medication use and risk behavior in high-altitude trekking (MeRiT project)
Staff: Katharina Steger (Institute of Sports, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism (ISAG), UMIT Tirol, Hall and Medical University of Innsbruck)
Project Management: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schobersberger, ISAG UMIT Tirol and Tirol Kliniken Innsbruck
More and more tourists view their vacation as an adventure and want to explore untouched places. As a result, adventure tourism, which includes high-altitude trekking, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Nevertheless, to date, little is known about the pre-existing conditions, current health status, medication use, and risk behavior of participants in commercial trekking tours. From existing literature, it is known that the average age of a trekking participant currently tends to be higher and that one cannot assume absolute health and fitness of the participants. This fact, as well as the often difficult access to healthcare facilities in large parts of popular trekking regions, such as the Everest region in Nepal, are just two factors of many that illustrate the high importance of preventive measures in this field. The aim of the MeRiT study (Medication use-Risk in Trekking) is therefore to collect further and more precise data on this topic, with a focus on medication use but potential medication abuse, in order to be able to offer more precise preventive medical advice in the future. The knowledge acquired is intended to be conveyed not only to the trekking participants themselves, but also to all other persons in the trekking industry, such as trekking agencies, trekking guides, or expedition doctors.
Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Innsbruck
Project Title: Pre-acclimatization in normobaric hypoxia for AMS prevention – January to December 2019
Staff: Daniel Jochum (Master’s program in Sports Science, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
Acute altitude exposure above 2,500 m can lead to the occurrence of acute mountain sickness (AMS). In most cases, AMS is mild, with symptoms such as headache, loss of appetite or nausea, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. However, the symptoms massively impair the well-being of those affected, and in some cases, motor and cognitive impairments can negatively influence safety in everyday life and in mountain sports. In rare cases, high-altitude pulmonary edema or high-altitude cerebral edema can also occur, which can become life-threatening if no immediate treatment and transport to lower altitudes are carried out. In addition to classic acclimatization (continuous stay at altitude) and/or pharmacological interventions, pre-acclimatization at simulated altitude represents a possibility to minimize the risk of AMS. In this context, it was recently shown that as little as 2 days of pre-acclimatization at 3,000 or 3,500 m at natural altitude can reduce the AMS incidence during a subsequent altitude exposure at 4,300 m by more than 50%. However, the effectiveness of pre-acclimatization in normobaric hypoxia, which would be easier to apply from a practical point of view, is still under discussion. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the effects of pre-acclimatization over 2 nights in normobaric hypoxia on the severity and incidence of AMS during a subsequent 22-hour stay at 4,300 m.
Institute of Sports Science, University of Innsbruck
Project Title: Reproducibility of physiological parameters and AMS in normobaric hypoxia – January to December 2018
Staff: Daniel Jochum (Master’s program in Sports Science, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
High-altitude regions worldwide are visited by countless people, including mountaineers, trekkers, pilgrims, workers, business people, and military personnel. Acute altitude exposures carry the risk of altitude illnesses, of which acute mountain sickness (AMS) is the most common form. AMS symptoms include headache, loss of appetite to vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and sleep disturbances, which, depending on the degree of severity, massively restrict the motor and cognitive performance of those affected. The AMS incidence varies between 9 and over 63% depending on the altitude and other factors, and thus AMS represents a relevant problem and risk for the groups of people mentioned above. For the use of preventive strategies (e.g., pharmacological prophylaxis), it would be significant if the individual risk could be predicted with sufficient accuracy. In practice, experience from previous altitude exposures or results from physiological test procedures are primarily used for this purpose. However, both the reproducibility of AMS symptoms and the reliability and predictive accuracy of these physiological test procedures are controversially discussed. Good reproducibility of results is a prerequisite for recommendations based on them, but generally represents a major weakness in high-altitude medical research. The aim of this study is therefore to verify the reproducibility a) of physiological measurement parameters for predicting the risk of AMS and b) of AMS symptoms during passive exposures at simulated altitude.
Project Title: Health effects of moderate altitudes – November 2013 to December 2017
Staff: Lukas Höllrigl, Martin Krautschneider, Natalie Marterer (University of Innsbruck, Institute of Sports Science)
Institute of Sports, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism, UMIT, Hall in Tirol
(Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schobersberger)
The following were funded by ÖGAHM
Dr. Marc Schaber (third-party funding), Medical thesis, Hypoxia and blood coagulation
Mag. David Morawetz (third-party funding), Project Muscle strain in alpine sports
Mag. Nico Schlickum (third-party funding), Project Muscular fatigue during ski touring
Cand. Med. Katharina Steger (third-party funding), Trekking and medication use
Publications
Schaber M, Schobersberger B, Schobersberger W
“Hemostasis at high and extreme altitude: A review”
JB ÖGAHM 2013, 205 – 232, ISBN 978-3-9501312-3-9
Schaber M, Leichtfried V, Fries D, Wille M, Gatterer H, Faulhaber M, Würtinger P, Schobersberger W
“Influence of acute normobaric hypoxia on hemostasis in volunteers with and without acute mountain sickness.”
Biomed Res Int 2015, doi: 10.1155/593938
Schaber M, Schobersberger B, Schobersberger W
Influence of hypoxia on body composition – Hypoxia as an option for weight reduction?
JB ÖGAHM 2015, 221-245, ISBN 978-3-9501312-5-3
Morawetz D, Koller A, Schobersberger W
“Eccentric muscle strain in alpine sports – effects – preparation – adaptation”
JB ÖGAHM 2016, 147-162, ISBN 978-3-9501312-6-0
Haslinger S, Blank C, Morawetz D, Koller A, Dünnwald T, Berger S, Schlickum N, Schobersberger W
“Effects of recreational ski mountaineering on cumulative muscle fatigue – a longitudinal trial.”
Front Physiol 2018 Nov 27;9:1687
Morawetz D, Blank C, Koller A, Arvandi M, Siebert U, Schobersberger W
“Sex-related differences after a single bout of maximal eccentric exercise in response to acute effects: a systematic review and meta-analysis”
J Strength Conditioning Research 2018, in press