# Effects of the micronutrient Sanopal® (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural and α-ketoglutaric acid) on oxygen affinity of hemoglobin, oxygen saturation and exercise responses at altitude

## TL;DR

This study tests if a supplement called Sanopal® improves oxygen delivery to blood at high altitudes, but finds only minor effects.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate Sanopal®'s impact on hemoglobin-oxygen affinity and exercise responses at moderate altitude.

## Key findings

- Sanopal® slightly increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity after exercise at altitude.
- There was no significant change in oxygen saturation (SpO₂) or heart rate with Sanopal®.
- The observed effect on hemoglobin-oxygen affinity was modest and likely insufficient to improve performance.

## Abstract

With increasing altitude, the partial pressure of oxygen and oxygen saturation (SpO2) decrease, reducing physical performance. This study investigates whether the nutritional supplement Sanopal® (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural and α-ketoglutaric acid) increases hemoglobin-oxygen affinity and SpO₂ during exercise at moderate altitude.

Nineteen healthy young sports students (12 females, 7 males) participated in a single-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study investigating the effects of Sanopal® at low (590 m) and moderate altitude (2900 m). Participants received Sanopal® or placebo in a randomized order, with measurements of SpO₂, heart rate, and blood parameters taken before and after ingestion, as well as before and after exercise at altitude.

Under resting and acute hypoxia conditions, Sanopal® did not increase hemoglobin-oxygen affinity or SpO₂. At altitude and post-exercise, Hb-O₂ affinity decreased by approximately 5% in the PL trial but increased by approximately 2% in the SA session (interaction effect: p = 0.030). There were no significant differences in SpO₂ or heart rate between the Sanopal® and placebo groups.

Sanopal® did not alter hemoglobin-oxygen affinity or SpO₂ under resting conditions in normoxia or acute hypoxia. After exercise at altitude, it slightly increased Hb-O₂ affinity without significantly affecting SpO₂ or other measured blood parameters. The modest increase in Hb-O2 affinity following exercise may have limited the exercise-induced decrease in Hb-O2 affinity. However, this increase was likely too small to significantly raise SpO₂ in this cohort at a relatively low altitude.