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.

Sanopal® did not increase hemoglobin-oxygen affinity or SpO2 under resting conditions in normoxia or acute hypoxia.

• Study involved 19 healthy young sports students (12 females, 7 males) in a single-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover design.
• Measurements were taken at low altitude (590 m) and moderate altitude (2900 m).
• No significant differences in SpO2 or heart rate were found between Sanopal® and placebo groups under resting conditions.
• Participants received Sanopal® or placebo in randomized order.

After exercise at altitude, Hb-O2 affinity decreased by approximately 5% in the placebo trial but increased by approximately 2% in the Sanopal® session.

• The interaction effect for Hb-O2 affinity post-exercise at altitude was statistically significant (p = 0.030).
• Hb-O2 affinity decreased ~5% in the placebo (PL) trial post-exercise at altitude.
• Hb-O2 affinity increased ~2% in the Sanopal® (SA) session post-exercise at altitude.
• The authors suggest this modest increase may have limited the exercise-induced decrease in Hb-O2 affinity.

The post-exercise increase in Hb-O2 affinity with Sanopal® did not translate into significant improvements in SpO2 or other measured blood parameters.

• No significant differences in SpO2 were observed between Sanopal® and placebo groups post-exercise.
• No significant differences in heart rate were observed between Sanopal® and placebo groups.
• The authors attributed the lack of SpO2 effect to the modest magnitude of the Hb-O2 affinity increase.
• The authors noted that the relatively low altitude of 2900 m may have been insufficient to detect a significant SpO2 difference in this cohort.

The active ingredient combination in Sanopal® is 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) and α-ketoglutaric acid, investigated as a nutritional supplement to modulate hemoglobin-oxygen affinity at altitude.

• The rationale for the supplement is that decreasing partial pressure of oxygen and SpO2 with increasing altitude reduces physical performance.
• The study was designed to test whether Sanopal® could increase hemoglobin-oxygen affinity and SpO2 during exercise at moderate altitude.
• Blood parameters were measured before and after ingestion, as well as before and after exercise at altitude.