The Sky is the Limit – Altitude Training
Everything can be just that little bit harder at altitude. Yet athletes all across the globe voluntarily subject themselves to training at altitude. So what are the benefits and does it always reap rewards?
The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico, was the first sporting event to really see first-hand evidence of the effects of altitude on athletic performance, as the athletes that had incorporated altitude exposure into their training easily outperformed their competition. In the years since the 1968 Olympics, athletes have been setting new marks in all racing events. Whereas Russian scientists began experimenting with altitude training for their pilots in the 1940’s, it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that they turned their attention to endurance runners and subsequently introduced this technique into their Olympic Program, having realized that red blood cell stamina was increased and the effects lasted for over 2 weeks. This was the first real introduction of altitude training into sport.
What is Altitude Training
So what actually is Altitude Training? – Altitude training, commonly known as hypoxic training, involves exercising in, living in or otherwise breathing oxygen reduced air for the purpose of enhanced athletic performance, pre-acclimatization to altitude and/or physical wellness. Of course due to time constraints, travel may not be an option for some athletes so the creation of high altitudes can be obtained in science labs. At higher altitudes (usually 2500m +), lower atmospheric pressure creates thin air. When your body is exposed to “thin air,” it makes up for reduced oxygen levels by increasing the bloods oxygen-carrying capacity, as well as its ability to utilize that oxygen. Specifically, your body reacts to the thin air in the following ways:
- Increasing natural hormone erythropoietin (EPO) production, which in turn increases red blood cell mass for delivering oxygen to muscle cells and changing it into energy.
- An elevation in V02 max (the maximum amount of oxygen the body can convert to work) giving you increased stamina for the long haul.
- Increasing the amount of mitochondria–the powerhouses in cells that help your body convert oxygen into energy.
- Increasing haematocrit levels to provide a larger percentage of cells carrying oxygen.
- Elevating capillary volume, creating more blood pathways to muscle cells for enhanced muscle oxygenation.
- Increasing the lungs’ ability to exchange gases efficiently – so that every breath you take more oxygen enters the bloodstream.
- Boosting total blood volume to move oxygen more efficiently through your bloodstream.
Studies have revealed that athletes who return to “sea level” from a period of at least 2 – 3 weeks of high altitude training will perform better, and this can last for a period of time after the training. This includes both endurance exercises and quicker, intermittent exercises of shorter bursts. It is now common for athletes of individual sports and team sports to go away to a “high altitude training camp” as part of their competition preparation.
Altitude training is also used extensively in the rehabilitation programmes of athletes. Hypoxic training can benefit an injured athlete or player in the rehabilitation process in the following ways:
- Accelerate healing and recovery from injury, and return to full training and competition sooner
- Maintaining fitness whilst injured
- Avoid unwanted weight gain whilst injured
Not everyone benefits
Seconds matter in competitive sports – and many olympians use altitude training to shave off seconds to help them get that competitive edge. But altitude training doesn’t work for everyone. In Is Training at Altitude Worth It for Athletes?, Carl Valle summarizes findings from a number of research papers. He also emphasizes the importance of being sufficiently prepared for a training camp at altitude. Being unprepared, slightly anemic, neglecting to adjust your nutrition and hydration content are just some of the factors that can leave you sick or in a worse condition after altitude training and training at elevation could put an athlete who is fragile out of commission.
He also points out that it is recommended that athletes have their blood tested two weeks in advance of a training camp at altitude but his preference would be to do this much earlier so that you have enough time to change the iron status of an athlete if they are anemic.
Importance of monitoring
As with any type of training regime, it is important for athletes and coaches to be aware of the effect on our bodies and minds. Monitoring an athlete’s heart rate, sleep, mood and training performance can prevent altitude training from causing more harm than good. Metrifit offers athlete centric, simple and effective monitoring with clear concise results leading to actionable intelligence. It provides an immediate snap shot of athlete well-being across a number of metrics such as sleep, stress, readiness to perform, muscle soreness and training loads as well as communication and feedback portals to support the development of an optimal environment for success. To find out more visit our Metrifit Product Overview page or contact us at for a free demo.
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References
Is Training at Altitude Worth It for Athletes? by Carl Valle
The History Of Altitude Training – Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure (IHE)
Physiological Effects of High Altitude
Altitude Training for Sea-Level Competition by A Baker and W G Hopkins
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