| Q: Who uses altitude training? A: Almost all top athletes in individual endurance sports and many sports teams use altitude training. Athletes are too numerous to list, but include champion athletes such as cyclists Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie; marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe; three-time iron man champion Peter Reid, the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Canadian Winter Olympic teams, and many more. Q: What sports and activities does it help with? A: Altitude training benefits any sport or activity where aerobic oxygen delivery is at a premium, including
Q: What results will I get? A: Even well-trained athletes can break through performance plateaus using altitude training. Using Live High-Train Low (HiLo) training (the gold standard of altitude training) average speed, power and endurance increases of 2-7% have been reported in a multitude of scientific studies. Here are some examples:
Typical improvements reported by Higher Peak runners are 10-15 seconds for 1 mile, 30-45 seconds in 5K, 1 minute to 90 seconds in 10K, and up to 15 minutes in marathon. For cyclists, 10-12% increases in sustained wattage. Q: Is simulated altitude training legal in my sport? Is it fair and ethical? A: Altitude simulation is legal in all sports, the furthermore, the World Anti-Doping Agency has recently examined the issue and declared altitude training legal. Training with altitude simulation provides the benefit of altitude for athletes not able to live in elevated locations. It would be unfair if athletes from low-lying areas were not allowed to train at altitude. The cost and time of moving to altitude is simply prohibitive for many athletes, and altitude simulators in effect level the playing field. Higher Peak is bringing the cost of altitude training down to earth, so all athletes can benefit. Some try to argue that altitude simulation is comparable to taking synthetic EPO, but altitude training uses the body's natural systems, not any chemicals. Training of all types are meant to stimulate the body's natural systems -- just as we stress of muscles to stimulate the growth of muscles, we can stress our respiratory systems to improve our oxygen delivery. So is altitude training comparable to taking EPO? No more than lifting weights is comparable to taking muscle-building steroids. WADA has suggested that altitude training "violates the spirit of sport" because it is a "passive" training method. But if that is true, how about massage? Nutrition? Use of air conditioners to create a comfortable environment for training? Ice packs on injuries? There are many routine practices that are "passive", and altitude training ultimate is comparable to the ultimate passive act -- simply being lucky enough to live at high altitude. Q: What is the difference between real and simulated altitude training? A: Simulated altitude training has some advantages over "real" altitude training. When you live at high altitude, you have to train at the same altitude. However, it is difficult to achieve the high intensity workouts you need at high altitude. The principle of "live high train low" says that the best results come from mixing high-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training. For those of use who cannot afford to commute to the mountains on a daily basis, altitude simulation makes Hi-Lo training possible. On the other hand, the advantage of living in the mountains is that you get full-time exposure to mountain air, which is difficult with an altitude simulator. However, by spending 6-8 hours per night (or using the mask during daytime activities), you can still effectively acclimatize to high altitude. Q: What do I need to get started? A: You need two things:
The altitude generator represents the majority of the cost of a typical altitude training system. It takes normal air and removes some of the oxygen, in a controlled fashion, to create oxygen-deficient (hypoxic) air. Such air contains 10-20% oxygen, compared to 21% in normal air at sea level. |
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| General Questions About Altitude Training |