Altitude Training and Sea Level Performance

Altitude training and sea level performance
TRAINING IN HYPOXIC CHAMBER AND PERFORMANCE

Classification
• Classified in to 4 types
Hypoxic Hypoxia:
Reduced oxygen availability for respiration. Can be due to,
 High Altitude
 Rapid / Shallow Respiration
 Ventilation/perfusion ratio
(Ratio used to assess the efficiency & adequacy of the matching of two variables: V – ventilation
– air that reaches the alveoli. Q – perfusion – blood that reaches the alveoli via the capillaries.
Ensuring that the ventilation & perfusion of the lungs are adequately matched is vital for ensuring
continuous delivery of oxygen & removal of carbon dioxide from the body.
Anemic Hypoxia:
Reduced oxygen carrying capacity of arterial blood due to the decrease in the amount of functioning
hemoglobin.
Stagnant Hypoxia:
due to circulatory insufficiency. Can be due to
 Abnormal cardiac conditions
 Vascular diseases
Histotoxic Hypoxia:
In this condition the oxygen supply is normal but the oxygen utilization by the tissues is diminished.
Usually seen in,
 Cyanide poisoning
 Hydrogen sulfide
What is high altitude training?

Training of athletes at a higher altitude, usually above 1500meters where the atmospheric pressure &
partial pressure of oxygen is less from the sea level, but the percent oxygen remains 20.9%
Training periods will be minimum of 5 to 7 days & maximum of 3 to 5 weeks.
History
The study of altitude training was evolved during & after the 1968 Olympics, which took place
in Mexico City, Mexico which is at an elevation of 2,240metres (7,349 ft) above sea level.
There was significant decrease in the timings & records of endurance events where as power events
ended with many records that year.
Even before the event many predicted that there will be significant effect of altitude on the
performance of the athletes. After the event there increased the studies about altitude training.
TRAINING MODELS
4 training models are widely used
A. Live high - Train low
B. Live high – Train high
C. Repeated sprints in hypoxia
D. Artificial altitude
Live high – Train low:

Non-training elevation of 2,100–2,500m (6,900–8,200 ft) & training at 1,250m (4,100 ft) is
preferred.
living/sleeping at altitude for several weeks enables total red blood cell volume to increase
body fully adapts to performing with less oxygen in the air.
Live high – Train high:
In this model, an athlete lives & trains at a desired altitude.
Repeated sprints in hypoxia:
In this the athletes will undergo an all-out sprint of less than 30secs. As the athlete exhausts
there will be inadequate recovery in that hypoxic condition.
beneficial for speed, leg-power & strength, high-intensity running performance aerobic capacity
of team sport athletes
Possible Side Effects

1. Acute Mountain Sickness
2. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
3. High Altitude Cerebral Edema
Artificial Altitude:
It is the simulation of altitude conditions.
• It is simulated in a closed room called hypoxic chamber.
• Inside this chamber the level of oxygen, pressure & temperature can be controlled.
• The idea is to use it, if there are no areas of high altitude in that region or if the conditions are
not suitable for travelling.
Types in artificial altitude training:
Intermittent hypoxic exposure
• At rest
• While training
Altitude tents
Altitude chambers
Benefits
• Increases endurance
• Increases lactate threshold
• Increases RBC count
• Increases VO2 max
• O2 saturation increases
• Increases energy metabolism
Altitude: Optimizing Training and Performance

Human body becomes acclimated to altitude & how these adaptations affect performance at altitude
Does Altitude Training Improve Sea-Level Performance?
1. Altitude training evokes substantial tissue hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply)

2. Altitude-induced increase in red blood cell mass & haemoglobin content improves oxygen
delivery on return to sea level
Study 1- latter changes are transient, lasting only several days (should provide an advantage for
the athlete)
It was impossible to tell whether the improved performance of the altitude-trained athletes was due to
the training or the altitude
Study 2- There is no additional benefit of living & training at altitude for increasing sea-level V.
O2max or improving sea-level aerobic performance.
Study 3- Altitude poses additional problems because they are often unable to train at the same volume
& intensity of effort as when at sea level.
“Athletes have used altitude training in an attempt to improve sea-level endurance performance;
however, the existing research on endurance athletes does not support its effectiveness”
Is there a better way to use altitude to prepare endurance athletes for competition at sea level while
not interfering with training intensity or duration?
Optimizing Performance at Altitude

What can athletes who normally train at sea level but must compete at altitude do to prepare most
effectively for competition?
One option is to compete as soon as possible after arriving at altitude, and certainly within 24 h of
arrival not provide the beneficial effects of acclimation, but after the first 24 h, the athlete’s physical
condition often worsens because of the untoward effects of acute altitude exposure, such as
dehydration, headache & sleep disturbances.
Train at higher altitudes for a minimum of two weeks before competing. But not even two weeks is
sufficient for total acclimation. Total altitude acclimation would require a minimum of three to six
weeks & usually even longer. As previously mentioned, several weeks of intense aerobic training at
sea level to increase the athletes’ V. O2max will allow them to compete at altitude at a lower relative
intensity (% V. O2max) than if they had not trained aerobically.
Artificial “Altitude” Training

The largest & most important adaptations to altitude are physiological changes caused by the hypoxia
experienced there, similar adaptations simply by breathing gases with a low PO2.
Hypoxic sleeping devices or tents have also been proposed. Unfortunately, at this time, few carefully
controlled scientific data exist to confirm whether these apartments or sleeping devices actually
improve performance & physiological function.

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Altitude training and sea level performance

TRAINING IN HYPOXIC CHAMBER AND PERFORMANCE

What is high altitude training?

Live high – Train low:

Possible Side Effects

Altitude: Optimizing Training and Performance

1. Altitude training evokes substantial tissue hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply)

Optimizing Performance at Altitude

Artificial “Altitude” Training

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