Training in high altitudes can bring great benefits, we’ll see how.
Usually during the time frame of a sporting season there’s a time in which the athlete moves to higher grounds to train. This famous “getaway” usually coincides with the school holidays for the younger athletes. Even those who aren’t part of a professional training team, but simply love the outdoors might go to the mountains during their winter-sports holiday and thereby gain the benefits of training in high altitudes.
What changes compared to training on sea-level?
It’s all in the air that we breathe. You might not already be aware of the fact that the air we breathe isn’t purely oxygen. Actually, only about 20% of the air we breathe is oxygen and the rest is mainly nitrogen and other elements. In high altitudes (at least above 2000m) the composition remains basically the same, but it’s as if there was less oxygen available to breathe. This happens because of the difference in atmospheric pressure, which is what makes the lungs perform less efficiently in processing oxygen-nitrogen.
What does it mean to have less oxygen available? Obviously, you’ll get more tired and quicker. Doing the same exercise on high altitudes will seem more difficult. It will be difficult…
