Severe hypoxia is well known to be associated with deleterious consequences for the human body.

For example, obstructive sleep apnea with brief and frequently recurrent cycles of hypoxia has been found to be linked to hypertension, stroke, and adverse cardiac events. Chronic hypoxia may provoke cerebral and myocardial ischemia, while it also seems to play a role in upregulation of tumour growth and metastatsis.

On the contrary, short and controlled intervals of moderate hypoxia that is no less than 9% cause a type of moderate stress that leads to beneficial adaptations, including but not limited to:

· Increase of vasolidation, angiogenesis, erythropoiesis

· Induction of defence protein synthesis (HSP, Fe-RP, repair enzymes)

· Increase of glycolic enzymes

· Improvement of insulin sensitivity

· Decrease of cholesterol levels

· Anti-inflammatory effect