The hemostatic response to acute exercise and increased atmospheric pressure was studied in 20 healthy male subjects (18-35 yr of age) exercised to volitional exhaustion on a cycle ergometer in a hyperbaric chamber at 3 atmospheres absolute (ATA). As a means of comparison, 6 of the 20 subjects were exercised in the same manner at 1 ATA. Similar increases in fibrinolytic activity (FA), Factor VIII activity (VIII:C), von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) and plasma catecholamine levels were observed following acute exercise at 1 ATA and at 3 ATA. There were no changes in the levels of plasminogen, antithrombin III, Protein C or Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) with exercise either at 1 ATA or at 3 ATA. In addition, there were no changes in plasma catecholamine levels or any of the hemostatic variables measured when atmospheric pressure was increased from 1 ATA to 3ATA without exercise. These findings demonstrate that increasing atmospheric pressure from 1 ATA to 3 ATA does not alter the exercise-induced changes in hemostasis. Therefore, exercise or physical exertion at 3 ATA for a time period not to exceed 30 min does not perturb the hemostatic mechanism and increase the risk of bleeding or thrombosis.