“Hypoxic Ventilatory Depression during the first 7 days of exposure in intermittent altitude between 4400 and 6960 m.”

The aim of this study is to chart the hypoxic ventilatory decline experienced by climbers exposed to hypoxic stimulus with and without 7 days of acclimatisation to intermittent altitude increases of 4400 to 6960 m. Our results revealed that hypoxic ventilatory depression was present during day 1 of hypoxia and decreased thereafter, returning to control values by day 7. These results indicate that the hypoxic ventilatory response, which is mediated by carotid body chemoreceptors, depends on the pattern and intensity of hypoxia exposure. Chronic intermittent hypoxia could facilitate this recovery, yielding faster returns to ventilatory baseline levels.