Intermittent hypoxia-induced enhancements in corticospinal excitability predict gains in motor learning and metabolic e¨ciency

This study investigates how intermittent hypoxia (AIH), or brief exposures to low oxygen, affects motor learning and efficiency. Researchers hypothesized that AIH would increase excitability in lower limb motor areas, predicting improvements in motor learning and metabolic power. The study found that AIH enhances excitability in the tibialis anterior muscle and this enhancement correlates with greater spatiotemporal adaptation and reduced net metabolic power. These results indicate that AIH-induced gains in excitability predict motor learning and metabolic efficiency. The researchers suggest that understanding these improvements in motor performance is crucial for optimizing AIH's therapeutic potential.

• 1
  AIH increases lower limb excitability, as evidenced by significant enhancements in MEPmax and the area under the recruitment curve.
• 2
  Increased lower limb excitability after AIH predicts improvements in motor learning, specifically in spatiotemporal adaptation during split-belt walking.
• 3
  Enhanced lower limb excitability is associated with greater reductions in net metabolic power during both motor learning and motor savings.