Altitude and endurance training.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Altitude Training

Background:

• Living high and training high (HiHi) benefits altitude performance, but its impact on sea-level performance remains debated.
• Potential limitations of HiHi include insufficient acclimatization, compromised training stimuli, and increased physiological stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effectiveness of different altitude training strategies for improving athletic performance.
• To identify key factors influencing positive acclimatization and performance enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Review of studies comparing altitude training protocols (HiHi vs. living high and training low - HiLo).
• Analysis of physiological responses, including red cell mass, oxygen transport, and neuromuscular/cardiovascular adaptations.
• Examination of critical thresholds for altitude, duration, and training conditions.

Main Results:

• HiHi may not improve sea-level performance if altitude is below 2000-2200m or duration is less than 3-4 weeks.
• A minimum of 3 weeks at 2100-2500m (or simulated) for >12 hours/day is needed for haematological acclimatization.
• HiLo demonstrates positive transfer effects, enabling higher intensity training in normoxia and enhancing endurance determinants.

Conclusions:

• Altitude training effectiveness is highly dependent on specific parameters like altitude, duration, and training environment (normoxia vs. hypoxia).
• Interrupting hypoxic exposure with normoxic training may mitigate negative effects of chronic hypoxia.
• HiLo appears more effective for enhancing sea-level performance by leveraging acclimatization for improved training capacity.