Vascular endothelial growth factor in exercising humans under different environmental conditions

It was the aim of this study to investigate the time course of changes in t he serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during a regular survival training programme combined with food and fluid depriva tion and during a high altitude marathon run. We studied soldiers of the Au strian Special Forces performing survival training at sea-level and maratho n runners of the Posta Atletica who crossed the border between Chile and Ar gentina at altitudes up to 4722 m. Baseline data collected before the I-wee k of survival training showed that the soldiers had normal VEGF [n = 8, 246 .7 (SD 118.5) pg.ml(-1)] serum concentrations which remained unchanged duri ng the course of the study. Before the high altitude marathon the subjects showed normal VEGF serum concentrations [178 (SD 84.5) pg.ml(-1)]. After th e run VEGF concentrations were found to be significantly decreased [41.0 (S D 41.6) pg.ml(-1), P < 0.01]. It was concluded that prolonged physical stre ss during normobaricnormoxia did nor alter the VEGF concentrations whereas during severe hypobaric-hypoxia decreased VEGF serum concentrations were me asured, at least temporarily, after prolonged physical exercise which might have been due to changes in production, release, removal and/or binding of circulating VEGF.