Serum glucose level in severe acute exogenous normobaric hypoxia in humans at rest

The study of the effect of acute normobaric hypoxia, which was simulated by inhalation of the oxygen-nitrogen mixture containing 8% of oxygen, which corresponds to its partial pressure at an altitude of 7000 m above sea level, was conducted in a group of apparently healthy men (aged 19-23 years, n = 10). The biochemical analysis during the test included determining the glucose, pyruvate, and lactate levels in venous blood; the hemoglobin content, pH, hematocrit, partial oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures, and hemoglobin saturation with oxygen. It was shown that, at the fifth minute of hypoxia, the serum glucose level decreased significantly (p < 0.05) compared to the background. However, on the whole, the maximal glucose level decrease was 0.76 mM, and the lowest individual parameter values did not decrease below 4.0 mM. The serum glucose level was restored to the background values at the tenth minute of testing. It was suggested that the syncopal form of altitude hypoxia in humans is unlikely to be linked to the development of hypoglycemia.