High-Performance Sport

Abstract

Introduction: Pulse oximetry is widely used to measure blood oxygens saturation (SpO2) and acclimatization status in order to assess acclimatisation status at altitude and there is evidence suggesting that SpO2 during exercise is more relevant than measurements at rest. But movement, especially of the hands, can lead to incorrect measurements and artefacts, when the oxymeter is attached to a finger, which in turn might limit the use of pulse oximetry.Key question: We aimedto evaluate the rate of incorrect measurementsduring extreme exercise (ice climbing) in order to assess the applicability of pulse oximetry during activity.Material and Methods: We analyzed an extreme ice-climb to the summit of Les Courtes (3856 m; NE-gully: 800 m; 50) in a male 32-years old mountain guide. The pulse oximeter (PalmSat 2500; Nonin) logsthe measured values for SpO2andpulse every 4 seconds and detects incorrect data, allowingcalculate the proportion of incorrect measurements. Results: During the whole tour 24.8% (1333/5368) of incorrect measurements were detected,34.5% (778/2252) during the ice climb. The highest proportionof incorrect measurementsoccurred during the preparation for the ice-climb, 55.6% (81/145). For a normal alpine activity (total tour without ice-climb and the associated preparation time) the rate of incorrect measurementswas 16.8% (510/3028).Discussion: Even during exercise in extremeconditions like ice-climbing,pulse oximetry provides approx. 33% valid SpO2 values, allowing a meaningful monitoring of blood oxygenation.KEY WORDS: Acute Mountain Sickness, Oxygen Saturation, Moving Artifact, PalmSat 2500, Ice Climbing