Atmospheric Pressure: High Altitude Training

Unit 5 - Gases and Atmospheric Chemistry

Article:https://utswmed.org/medblog/high-altitude-training/

What Is High Altitude Training And Why Do People Do It?

In sports medicine, high altitude is generally considered 7000 to 8000 feet above sea level or higher. Low altitude can be anything 4000 feet and under. At high-altitudes you breathe in less oxygen compared to low-altitude environments, causing the air to be “thinner”. This type of training is veered towards elite-athletes (olympians/professionals), living in higher-altitudes allows them to get used to breathing in “thinner” air can enhance their performance in competitions at lower-altitudes. An effective training regime called, “live high, train low”.Within this regime athletes are expected to live at altitudes around 8000 feet above sea level for about 12 to 16 hours a day, while conducting high-intensity training at low-altitudes - around 4000 feet above sea level or below.

How Does It Work?

At higher altitudes the air pressure decreases. Ottawa lies currently at approximately 230 feet above sea level, with the air pressure at approximately 100 kPa. Should one choose to travel to higher altitudes such as Mexico City which is around 7349 feet above sea level, and the air pressure is approximately 78 kPa. Lower air density occurs at high altitudes, with that there is less oxygen available per unit volume. The decrease of air density limits the amount of oxygen taken in with each breath. After a couple of weeks, the human body will make up for the limited oxygen levels and produces more red blood cells. The function of red blood cells are to carry oxygen throughout your body, with an increase in red blood celles athletes are able to carry more oxygen throughout their bodies and improve their performance at lower elevations.

The Pros

The goal of high-altitude training is to ultimately increase the amount of red blood cells in your body. Those who are successful in maintaining and successfully completing their scheduled training regime, their endurance and overall performance will improve. One persons VO2 max - their maximum oxygen intake during intense exercise - can show to improve, allowing them to withstand longer or more intense training at lower elevations. Over the course of your training period, your body learns to adapt to the limited oxygen intake at the higher elevations, strengthening the respiratory muscles, leaving the body with a healthier respiratory system.

The Cons

With such intense training, the body is put under a great deal of stress. An increase in the cortisol levels can lead to muscle breakdown, which would put an athlete in the opposite direction they may be striving for. What works for one athlete may not work for another. Some bodies are not engineered to withstand the extreme training, such as people with asthma who already have issue breathing, a decrease in air density will make breathing exponentially more difficult. On the more serious side of adjusting to high altitude, some bodies were not meant for it therefore can develop some conditions which could be quite severe such as; High Altitude Cerebral Edema, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, altitude sickness and affect blood flow among other things.

Reflection

The idea of altitude training is interesting, having the opportunity to increase the amount of oxygen you are able to take in allowing for more intense workouts. There is a certain amount of uncertainty when is comes to this training. Although recommenced for elite-athletes, it is up to you to decide if this is something that you would consider. In order for this training to be effective it is not enough to be solely motivated. You must posses the correct genetics to allow your body to withstand the sudden decrease in air density. While undergoing the training one must understand that there are negative effects that may happen regardless of your physical fitness, the amount of stress it may put on your body as well as the medical conditions that may develop. For all elite-athletes who have made it their career and passion to participate in their sport and would only like to improve, the “live high, train low” method seems to be a different type of training that they could incorporate in order to try something new. In all, I think if your body is up for it and having the knowledge required to undergo this training safely and effectively, it would prove to be effective.

Do you consider high altitude training to be an effective training method? If yes, what do you think to be the most beneficial aspect, explain. If no, what do you consider to be the worst aspect, explain.

Sources:

DiGiuseppe, M. (2011). Nelson Chemistry 11: University Preparation. Toronto, Ont.: Thomson/Nelson.

Levine, Ben. “How High-Altitude Training Can Benefit Elite Endurance Athletes like Runners and Swimmers | Heart | UT Southwestern Medical Center.” UTSouthwestern Medical Center, 21 Nov. 2016, utswmed.org/medblog/high-altitude-training/.

Peterson, Dan. “Why Do Athletes Train at High Altitudes?” LiveScience, Purch, 9 Aug. 2010, www.livescience.com/32750-why-do-athletes-train-at-high-altitudes.html.

Lombardo, R. “ConnectUS.” ConnectUS, 2 Aug. 2016, connectusfund.org/10-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-altitude-training.

Grimes, Gerlinda. “How High Altitude Triathlon Training Works.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 14 July 2010, adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/triathlons/training/high-altitude-triathlon-training2.htm.

Herbert, Dean. “Altitude Training – Some Critical Facts.” The Running World According to Dean, 2 Aug. 2009, coachdeanhebert.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/altitude-training-some-critical-facts/.