Sleep apnea linked to impaired exercise capacity

A Sleep apnea linked to impaired exercise capacity


A new study shows that compared to people who do not have the disorder, those who suffer from sleep apnea may not be capable of burning sufficiently high levels of oxygen during strenuous aerobic exercise.


Obstructive sleep apnea - or more commonly just sleep apnea - is a condition where breathing starts and stops during sleep. A common feature is gasping or snorting noises during sleep - these are the moments when sleep is interrupted.

People who suffer from sleep apnea may also feel sleepy during the day because due to frequent interruption, night-time sleep is not sufficiently restorative.

Sleep apnea is linked to increased risk of a number of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and irregular heart beat.

Researchers believe that an early marker of higher risk for stroke and heart attack is a measure of exercise capacity known as VO2 max or peak VO2 - the maximum oxygen a person burns during strenuous exercise.