Does o2 arterial desaturation in endurance athletes increase muscle deoxygenation?
Greater muscle deoxygenation at maximal exercise in hypoxemic athletes seems to be due, at least in part, to reduced oxygen delivery--that is, exercise-induced hypoxemia--to working muscle added to the metabolic demand. In addition, our finding is also consistent with the hypothesis of greater muscle oxygen extraction in order to counteract reduced O2 availability.
While these data must still not be interpreted as evidence of neuroprotection, they nevertheless provide strong encouragement for the further study of this drug as a potential disease modifying agent in Parkinson's disease.