Breathing air with less oxygen through a mask (simulated altitude) makes your muscles get less oxygen during exercise than being at real high altitude, even when the oxygen level in the air is the same.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Inter-set rest configuration effect on acute physiological and performance-related responses to a resistance training session in terrestrial vs simulated hypoxia

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2022

Even though both types of low-oxygen environments have the same amount of oxygen in the air, the study found that breathing low-oxygen air at normal pressure (normobaric) made muscles less oxygenated than being at high altitude (hypobaric), meaning muscles had a harder time recovering between sets.

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Inter-set rest configuration effect on acute physiological and performance-related responses to a resistance training session in terrestrial vs simulated hypoxia

Score: 49

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13469

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