Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Linear decrease in .VO2max and performance with increasing altitude in endurance athletes.

Jon Peter Wehrlin1, Jostein Hallén

  • 1Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO box 4014, Ullevål Stadion, 0806, Oslo, Norway. jon.wehrlin@baspo.admin.ch

European Journal of Applied Physiology
|November 29, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Review of Central and Peripheral Limitations to Endurance Exercise Performance on the Road to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2026
Same author

Determinants of maximal oxygen uptake in highly trained females and males: a mechanistic study of sex differences using advanced invasive methods.

The Journal of physiology·2025
Same author

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

JACC. CardioOncology·2025
Same author

A Prospective Study on Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Cardiovascular Functions in 12-Year-Old Endurance Athletes and Their Non-Endurance-Trained Peers.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2025
Same author

Repeated Carbon Monoxide Inhalation in Sports: A New Frontier or a Dangerous Gamble?

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2024
Same author

Assessing Leg Blood Flow and Cardiac Output During Running Using Thermodilution.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2024
Same journal

Sex comparisons across different indices of vascular health in recreationally active healthy adults.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
Same journal

Moderate altitude-mimicking CO-induced inhibition of hemoglobin oxygen binding decreased middle-distance swimming speed in male national-level swimmers.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
Same journal

Kinetics of submaximal DFA α1 prior and post maximal efforts in trained and highly trained male and female cyclists.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
Same journal

Effects of normobaric hypoxia and hyperthermia on ventilatory responses to high-intensity interval training bouts.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
Same journal

Does creatine supplementation improve strength and power in physically active individuals on a vegan diet? a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
Same journal

An integrated model of rapid torque production: neuromuscular adaptations under fatigue after strength training.

European journal of applied physiology·2026
See all related articles

Altitude significantly reduces endurance performance and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in athletes. Both VO2max and performance decline notably from 300 to 800 meters and continue to decrease linearly up to 2,800 meters.

Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Altitude Training
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) may decrease in hypoxia due to lower maximal exercise intensities in typical tests.
  • Endurance-trained athletes (ETA) may experience a linear decline in VO2max at increasing altitudes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if VO2max decreases at altitude even with the same absolute maximal exercise intensity.
  • To assess the linear decline of VO2max in ETA across simulated altitudes from sea level to 2,800 meters.

Main Methods:

  • Eight ETA underwent randomized, double-blind tests in a hypobaric chamber simulating altitudes from 300 to 2,800 meters.
  • Combined VO2max and performance tests were conducted at a constant speed, with respiratory measurements via Douglas bag and arterial oxygen saturation monitored by pulse oximetry.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • VO2max linearly decreased from 66 ml kg(-1) min(-1) at 300 m to 55 ml kg(-1) min(-1) at 2,800 m (6.3% decrease per 1,000 m).
  • Performance (time to exhaustion) decreased by 14.5% per 1,000 m altitude.
  • Both VO2max and performance showed significant declines from 300 to 800 m.

Conclusions:

  • Acute exposure to altitudes as low as 300-800 meters significantly reduces VO2max and performance in ETA.
  • VO2max and performance continue to decline linearly with increasing altitude up to 2,800 meters.