Ischemic preconditioning: prospects of application for the correction of physical performance in military, extreme and sports medicine

Abstract

The essence of the preconditioning effect is the activation of urgent defense mechanisms of adaptation as a result of a short episode of weak, non-damaging hypoxic or ischemic exposure, which contributes to an increase in the tolerance of the subsequent delayed, more severe exposure to hypoxia or ischemia. Aim of the study was to assess the literature data on the possibility of using the method of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIP) as a non-pharmacological method for correcting physical performance. Material and methods. In the Scopus, PubMed and eLibrary databases, a selection and analysis of modern literature sources devoted to the issues of increasing human performance, especially by nonpharmacological methods, as well as the use of distant preconditioning to increase physical performance and the mechanisms for implementing this effect, were carried out. Results. Since the discovery of the phenomenon until now, researchers have considered RIP, mainly as a way to protect organs and cells from ischemic damage in clinical practice. The article presents the literature data on the use of RIP as a non-drug method for improving physical performance with single and course use cases. In addition, the article focuses on the mobilization of the body’s own resources through the mechanisms of adaptation to hypoxia developing during RIP. Conclusions. Among the non-pharmacological methods of increasing physical performance, one of the most promising, in our opinion, is RIP that mobilizes the body’s own resources through the mechanisms of adaptation to hypoxia. The advantage of the method based on short-term cessation of blood circulation in the lower extremities and subsequent reperfusion does not apply to the ways prohibited in sports, does not require the use of drugs and the availability of special equipment, signifcant costs of economic and organizational resources.