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Athletics

For decades now, athletes have been aware of the benefits that altitude training can have for their performance in terms of overall strength, power and endurance. Today
it is the most popular and only legal method to getting a physiological edge over the competition. Through a combination of sleeping in normobaric hypoxia every night and moderately working out in this environment 2-3 times per week, athletes can boost performance to otherwise unachievable levels.

All forms of physical effort and exertion require extensive use of the body’s oxygen transport and metabolism systems. The proper altitude training program can substantially boost these systems through enhanced ventilation, naturally increased EPO production and increased mitochondrial efficiency as described in the general section. This will allow more efficient energy production both aerobically as well as anaerobically.

Athletes can expect to gain the following benefits from the discussed physiological effects:

     • Increased V02 max (max rate of oxygen usage)
     • Enhanced power output and speed
     • Improved strength and endurance
     • Increased exercise-till-exhaustion (ETE) time
     • Reduced recovery time after exertion
     • Decreased resting heart-rate and blood pressure
     • Maintenance of cardiovascular fitness when injured
     • Diminished overall fatigue

Research

In this breakout study done with a group of equally trained runners, the groups who trained at altitude significantly increased V02 max by 5% with a direct correlation to a 9% increase in red blood cell volume, whereas a control group who trained only at sea-level showed no such changes. In conjunction, the “live high, train low” group showed the largest improvement in 5000m run time over both the control (live low, train low) and the other experimental group (live high, train high).

"Living high-training low": effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on performance. Levine and Stray-Gundersen. 1997

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In this study, Stray-Gundersen, Chapman and Levine prove that both the mechanism and magnitude of the advantages of “live high, train low” also apply to elite runners who may have achieved near maximal oxygen transport capacity for humans.

"Living high-training low” altitude training improves sea level performance in male and female elite runners. Stray-Gundersen, Chapman and Levine. 2001

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This study done on elite male triathletes shows 7% increase in VO2max and a 7.4% increase in mean maximal power ouput/Kg body weight (Wmax) after 10 days of exercise training at a simulated altitude of 8000ft/2500m.

Meeuwsen, T, Hendriksen IJM, Holewijn M. Training-induced increases in sea level performance are enhanced by acute intermittent hypobaric hypoxia. European Journal of Applied Physiology 84: 283-290, 2001

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By showing performance increases through both normoxic and hypoxic workouts, this article aims to prove that training responses are largely affected at the molecular level within cells, and not just on the systemic level.

Molecular Adaptations in Human Skeletal Muscle to endurance training under simulated hypoxic conditions. Vogt et al. 2001

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This study presents an interesting and comparative view on the implications of both the “Live high, train low” and the “Live low, train high” modalities.

Live low, train high: Muscular adaptations and performance. Vogt, Angermann and Hoppeler

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PDF Articles:

Blood Lactate Exchange and Removal High Intensity in Hypoxia Exercise Training In Normobaric Hypoxia In Endurance Runners. II. Exercise Training In Normobaric Hypoxia In Endurance Runners. III. Traning in Normobaric hypoxia

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THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED HERIN HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FDA AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT OR CURE ANY DISEASE OR AILMENT