ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE OF SWIMMERS AFTER ALTITUDE TRAINING (2,300 M ABOVE SEA LEVEL) IN VIEW OF THEIR BLOOD MORPHOLOGY CHANGES

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120
Author(s):  
Marcin Siewierski ◽  
Paweł Słomiński ◽  
Robert Białecki ◽  
Jakub Adamczyk
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Blood Morphology ◽  
Morphology Changes

scholarly journals Iron insufficiency diminishes the erythropoietic response to moderate altitude exposure

2019 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 1569-1578
Author(s):  
Kazunobu Okazaki ◽  
James Stray-Gundersen ◽  
Robert F. Chapman ◽  
Benjamin D. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Iron Supplementation ◽  
Endurance Athletes ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Moderate Altitude ◽  
Altitude Exposure

The effects of iron stores and supplementation on erythropoietic responses to moderate altitude in endurance athletes were examined. In a retrospective study, red cell compartment volume (RCV) responses to 4 wk at 2,500 m were assessed in athletes with low ( n = 9, ≤20 and ≤30 ng/mL for women and men, respectively) and normal ( n = 10) serum ferritin levels ([Ferritin]) without iron supplementation. In a subsequent prospective study, the same responses were assessed in athletes ( n = 26) with a protocol designed to provide sufficient iron before and during identical altitude exposure. The responses to a 4-wk training camp at sea level were assessed in another group of athletes ( n = 13) as controls. RCV and maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2max) were determined at sea level before and after intervention. In the retrospective study, athletes with low [Ferritin] did not increase RCV (27.0 ± 2.9 to 27.5 ± 3.8 mL/kg, mean ± SD, P = 0.65) or V̇o2max (60.2 ± 7.2 to 62.2 ± 7.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, P = 0.23) after 4 wk at altitude, whereas athletes with normal [Ferritin] increased both (RCV: 27.3 ± 3.1 to 29.8 ± 2.4 mL/kg, P = 0.002; V̇o2max: 62.0 ± 3.1 to 66.2 ± 3.7 mL·kg−1·min−1, P = 0.003). In the prospective study, iron supplementation normalized low [Ferritin] observed in athletes exposed to altitude ( n = 14) and sea level ( n = 6) before the altitude/sea-level camp and maintained [Ferritin] within normal range in all athletes during the camp. RCV and V̇o2max increased in the altitude group but remained unchanged in the sea-level group. Finally, the increase in RCV correlated with the increase in V̇o2max [( r = 0.368, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.059–0.612, P = 0.022]. Thus, iron deficiency in athletes restrains erythropoiesis to altitude exposure and may preclude improvement in sea-level athletic performance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hypoxic exposure increases iron requirements and utilization for erythropoiesis in athletes. This study clearly demonstrates that iron deficiency in athletes inhibits accelerated erythropoiesis to a sojourn to moderate high altitude and may preclude a potential improvement in sea-level athletic performance with altitude training. Iron replacement therapy before and during altitude exposure is important to maximize performance gains after altitude training in endurance athletes.

Altitude Training in Elite Swimmers for Sea Level Performance (Altitude Project)

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1965-1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
FERRAN A. RODRÍGUEZ ◽  
XAVIER IGLESIAS ◽  
BELÉN FERICHE ◽  
CARMEN CALDERÓN-SOTO ◽  
DIEGO CHAVERRI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Elite Swimmers ◽  
Level Performance

The spirit of sport, morality, and hypoxic tents: logic and authenticity

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cruise Malloy ◽  
Robert Kell ◽  
Rod Kelln
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Aerobic Performance ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Blood Doping ◽  
Hypoxic Environment ◽  
Moral Behaviour ◽  
World Anti Doping Agency ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Spirit Of Sport

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recently made a decision to allow the use of hypoxic tents amid a significant amount of controversy over the morality of their use for athletic training purposes. Currently, altitude training is considered moral, but other means of improving aerobic performance are not; for example, blood doping. Altitude training and blood doping have similar results, but the methods by which the results are achieved differ greatly. The controversy lies in how the use of a hypoxic device falls within WADA’s philosophy, which will then dictate future policy. This paper discusses the influence of a hypoxic environment on human physiology, altitude training’s influence on athletic performance, the concept of authentic physiology, and moral behaviour that is the foundation for logical debate.

Individual variation in response to altitude training

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1448-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Chapman ◽  
James Stray-Gundersen ◽  
Benjamin D. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Cell Volume ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Interval Training ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Individual Response ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Moderate Altitude ◽  
Red Cell ◽  
Red Cell Volume ◽  
The Individual

Moderate-altitude living (2,500 m), combined with low-altitude training (1,250 m) (i.e., live high-train low), results in a significantly greater improvement in maximal O2 uptake (V˙o 2 max) and performance over equivalent sea-level training. Although the mean improvement in group response with this “high-low” training model is clear, the individual response displays a wide variability. To determine the factors that contribute to this variability, 39 collegiate runners (27 men, 12 women) were retrospectively divided into responders ( n = 17) and nonresponders ( n = 15) to altitude training on the basis of the change in sea-level 5,000-m run time determined before and after 28 days of living at moderate altitude and training at either low or moderate altitude. In addition, 22 elite runners were examined prospectively to confirm the significance of these factors in a separate population. In the retrospective analysis, responders displayed a significantly larger increase in erythropoietin (Epo) concentration after 30 h at altitude compared with nonresponders. After 14 days at altitude, Epo was still elevated in responders but was not significantly different from sea-level values in nonresponders. The Epo response led to a significant increase in total red cell volume andV˙o 2 max in responders; in contrast, nonresponders did not show a difference in total red cell volume or V˙o 2 maxafter altitude training. Nonresponders demonstrated a significant slowing of interval-training velocity at altitude and thus achieved a smaller O2 consumption during those intervals, compared with responders. The acute increases in Epo and V˙o 2 maxwere significantly higher in the prospective cohort of responders, compared with nonresponders, to altitude training. In conclusion, after a 28-day altitude training camp, a significant improvement in 5,000-m run performance is, in part, dependent on 1) living at a high enough altitude to achieve a large acute increase in Epo, sufficient to increase the total red cell volume andV˙o 2 max, and 2) training at a low enough altitude to maintain interval training velocity and O2 flux near sea-level values.

scholarly journals Acute Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia Impairs Balance Performance in Sub-elite but Not Elite Basketball Players

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haris Pojskić ◽  
Helen G. Hanstock ◽  
Tsz-Hin Tang ◽  
Lara Rodríguez-Zamora
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Normobaric Hypoxia ◽  
Acute Exposure ◽  
Hypoxic Exposure ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Peripheral Oxygen Saturation ◽  
Elite Group ◽  
Over Time

Although high and simulated altitude training has become an increasingly popular training method, no study has investigated the influence of acute hypoxic exposure on balance in team-sport athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether acute exposure to normobaric hypoxia is detrimental to balance performance in highly-trained basketball players. Nine elite and nine sub-elite male basketball players participated in a randomized, single-blinded, cross-over study. Subjects performed repeated trials of a single-leg balance test (SLBT) in an altitude chamber in normoxia (NOR; approximately sea level) with FiO2 20.9% and PiO2 ranging from 146.7 to 150.4 mmHg and in normobaric hypoxia (HYP; ~3,800 m above sea level) with FiO2 13.0% and PiO2 ranging from 90.9 to 94.6 mmHg. The SLBT was performed three times: 15 min after entering the environmental chamber in NOR or HYP, then two times more interspersed by 3-min rest. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) were recorded at four time points: after the initial 15-min rest inside the chamber and immediately after each SLBT. Across the cohort, the balance performance was 7.1% better during NOR than HYP (P < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.58). However, the performance of the elite group was not impaired by HYP, whereas the sub-elite group performed worse in the HYP condition on both legs (DL: P = 0.02, d = 1.23; NDL: P = 0.01, d = 1.43). SpO2 was lower in HYP than NOR (P < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.99) with a significant decline over time during HYP. HR was higher in HYP than NOR (P = 0.04, ηp2 = 0.25) with a significant increase over time. Acute exposure to normobaric hypoxia detrimentally affected the balance performance in sub-elite but not elite basketball players.

A Clinician Guide to Altitude Training for Optimal Endurance Exercise Performance at Sea Level

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Constantini ◽  
Daniel P. Wilhite ◽  
Robert F. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Endurance Exercise ◽  
Exercise Performance ◽  
Altitude Training

Limb skeletal muscle adaptation in athletes after training at altitude

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 496-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mizuno ◽  
C. Juel ◽  
T. Bro-Rasmussen ◽  
E. Mygind ◽  
B. Schibye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Buffer Capacity ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Mitochondrial Enzyme ◽  
Muscle Adaptation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Vo2 Max ◽  
Capillary Supply ◽  
O2 Deficit

Morphological and biochemical characteristics of biopsies obtained from gastrocnemius (GAS) and triceps brachii muscle (TRI), as well as maximal O2 uptake (VO2 max) and O2 deficit, were determined in 10 well-trained cross-country skiers before and after a 2-wk stay (2,100 m above sea level) and training (2,700 m above sea level) at altitude. On return to sea level, VO2 max was the same as the prealtitude value, whereas an increase in O2 deficit (29%) and in short-term running performance (17%) was observed (P less than 0.05). GAS showed maintained capillary supply but a 10% decrease in mitochondrial enzyme activities (P less than 0.05), whereas an increase in capillary supply (P less than 0.05) but unchanged mitochondrial enzyme activities were observed in TRI. Buffer capacity was increased by 6% in both GAS and TRI (P less than 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the relative increase in buffer capacity of GAS and short-term running time (P less than 0.05). Thus the present study indicates no effect of 2 wk of altitude training on VO2 max but provides evidence to suggest an improvement in short-term exercise performance, which may be the result of an increase in muscle buffer capacity.

Effects of equivalent sea-level and altitude training on VO2max and running performance

1975 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. C. Adams ◽  
E. M. Bernauer ◽  
D. B. Dill ◽  
J. B. Bomar
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Air Force Academy ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Us Air Force ◽  
The Us ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Equivalent Distance ◽  
Similar Intensity

Twelve middle-distance runners, each having recently completed a competitive track season, were divided into two groups matched for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), 2-mile run time and age. Group 1 trained for 3 wk at Davis, PB = 760 mmHg, running 19.3 km/day at 75% of sea-level (SL) VO2max, while group 2 trained an equivalent distance at the same relative intensity at the US Air Force Academy (AFA), PB = 586 mmHg. The groups then exchanged sites and followed a training program of similar intensity to the group preceding it for an additional 3 wk. Periodic near exhaustive VO2max treadmill tests and 2-mile competitive time trials were completed. Initial 2-mile times at the AFA were 7.2% slower than SL control. Both groups demonstrated improved performance in the second trial at the AFA (chi = 2.0%), but mean postaltitude performance was unchanged from SL control. VO2max at the AFA was reduced initially 17.4% from SL control, but increased 2.6% after 20 days. However, postaltitude VO2max was 2.8% below SL control. It is concluded that there is no potentiating effect of hard endurance training at 2,300-m over equivalently severe SL training on SL VO2max or 2-mile performance time in already well conditioned middle-distance runners.

Live High + Train Low: Thinking in Terms of an Optimal Hypoxic Dose

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall L. Wilber
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Hypoxic Exposure ◽  
Altitude Training ◽  
Subsequent Increase ◽  
Endogenous Erythropoietin ◽  
Altitude Acclimatization ◽  
Performance Effects ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Level Performance

“Live high-train low” (LH+TL) altitude training allows athletes to “live high” for the purpose of facilitating altitude acclimatization, as characterized by a significant and sustained increase in endogenous erythropoietin and subsequent increase in erythrocyte volume, while simultaneously enabling them to “train low” for the purpose of replicating sea-level training intensity and oxygen flux, thereby inducing beneficial metabolic and neuromuscular adaptations. In addition to natural/terrestrial LH+TL, several simulated LH+TL devices have been developed including nitrogen apartments, hypoxic tents, and hypoxicator devices. One of the key issues regarding the practical application of LH+TL is what the optimal hypoxic dose is that is needed to facilitate altitude acclimatization and produce the expected beneficial physiological responses and sea-level performance effects. The purpose of this review is to examine this issue from a research-based and applied perspective by addressing the following questions: What is the optimal altitude at which to live, how many days are required at altitude, and how many hours per day are required? It appears that for athletes to derive the hematological benefits of LH+TL while using natural/terrestrial altitude, they need to live at an elevation of 2000 to 2500 m for >4 wk for >22 h/d. For athletes using LH+TL in a simulated altitude environment, fewer hours (12-16 h) of hypoxic exposure might be necessary, but a higher elevation (2500 to 3000 m) is required to achieve similar physiological responses.

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