Oxygen Saturation Behavior by Pulse Oximetry in Female Athletes: Breaking Myths

The myths surrounding women’s participation in sport have been reflected in respiratory physiology. This study aims to demonstrate that continuous monitoring of blood oxygen saturation during a maximal exercise test in female athletes is highly correlated with the determination of the second ventilatory threshold ([Formula: see text]) or anaerobic threshold (AnT). The measurements were performed using a pulse oximeter during a maximum effort test on a treadmill on a population of 27 healthy female athletes. A common behavior of the oxygen saturation evolution during the incremental exercise test characterized by a decrease in saturation before the aerobic threshold (AeT) followed by a second significant drop was observed. Decreases in peripheral oxygen saturation during physical exertion have been related to the athlete’s physical fitness condition. However, this drop should not be a limiting factor in women’s physical performance. We found statistically significant correlations between the maximum oxygen uptake and the appearance of the ventilatory thresholds ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), the desaturation time, the total test time, and between the desaturation time and the [Formula: see text]. We observed a relationship between the desaturation time and the [Formula: see text] appearance. Indeed, a linear regression model between the desaturation time and the [Formula: see text] appearance can predict [Formula: see text] of the values in our sample. Besides, we suggest that pulse oximetry is a simple, fairly accurate, and non-invasive technique for studying the physical condition of athletes who perform physical exertion.