Effect of Altitude Training on Runner's Skeletal Muscle

Stray-Gundersen, J.; Levine, B D; Bertocci, L. A.

doi:10.1097/00005768-199905001-00809

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…1995a). In contrast, a recent report indicated an unspecified decrease in β m after living at 2500 m and training at 2200–3000 m (Stray‐Gundersen et al . 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Live high:train low increases muscle buffer capacity and submaximal cycling efficiency

Gore¹,

Hahn²,

Aughey

et al. 2001

Acta Physiologica Scandinavica

221

212

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This study investigated whether hypoxic exposure increased muscle buffer capacity (beta(m)) and mechanical efficiency during exercise in male athletes. A control (CON, n=7) and a live high:train low group (LHTL, n=6) trained at near sea level (600 m), with the LHTL group sleeping for 23 nights in simulated moderate altitude (3000 m). Whole body oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured under normoxia before, during and after 23 nights of sleeping in hypoxia, during cycle ergometry comprising 4 x 4-min submaximal stages, 2-min at 5.6 +/- 0.4 W kg(-1), and 2-min 'all-out' to determine total work and VO(2peak). A vastus lateralis muscle biopsy was taken at rest and after a standardized 2-min 5.6 +/- 0.4 W kg(-1) bout, before and after LHTL, and analysed for beta(m) and metabolites. After LHTL, beta(m) was increased (18%, P < 0.05). Although work was maintained, VO(2peak) fell after LHTL (7%, P < 0.05). Submaximal VO2 was reduced (4.4%, P < 0.05) and efficiency improved (0.8%, P < 0.05) after LHTL probably because of a shift in fuel utilization. This is the first study to show that hypoxic exposure, per se, increases muscle buffer capacity. Further, reduced VO2 during normoxic exercise after LHTL suggests that improved exercise efficiency is a fundamental adaptation to LHTL.

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“…1995a). In contrast, a recent report indicated an unspecified decrease in β m after living at 2500 m and training at 2200–3000 m (Stray‐Gundersen et al . 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Live high:train low increases muscle buffer capacity and submaximal cycling efficiency

Gore¹,

Hahn²,

Aughey

et al. 2001

Acta Physiologica Scandinavica

221

212

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Data shown are for men only because of marked variability in response of some of the control women. From Levine and Stray-Gundersen, 1997. this quality of training maintained muscle fiber size, myoglobin concentration, and muscle buffer capacity, all of which decreased in the athletes attempting to do all their training at moderate altitude (Stray-Gundersen and Levine, 1999). Functionally, this preservation of muscle structure allowed an increase in both the V O 2 at the ventilatory threshold and the velocity at V O 2max , which were present only in the high-low group .…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 86%

Intermittent Hypoxic Training: Fact and Fancy

Levine

2002

High Altitude Medicine & Biology

160

142

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LTITUD E TRAINING has been used frequently by endurance athletes to enhance performance. However, not all athletes or teams have the resources to travel to high altitude environments on a regular basis. Moreover, issues such as availability of adequate training facilities have limited the use of mountain-based altitude training. In the last few years, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of techniques designed to "bring the mountain to the athlete." Nitrogen houses, hypoxia tents, and special breathing apparatuses to provide inspired hypoxia at rest and during exercise, all have been developed and promoted to simulate what are perceived as the critical elements of altitude training.Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) refers to the discontinuous use of normobaric or hypobaric hypoxia, in an attempt to reproduce some of these key features of altitude acclimatization, with the ultimate goal to improve sea-level athletic performance. In general, IHT can be divided into two different strategies: (1) providing hypoxia at rest with High Alt Med Biol. 3:177-193, 2002.-Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) refers to the discontinuous use of normobaric or hypobaric hypoxia, in an attempt to reproduce some of the key features of altitude acclimatization, with the ultimate goal to improve sea-level athletic performance. In general, IHT can be divided into two different strategies: (1) providing hypoxia at rest with the primary goal being to stimulate altitude acclimatization or (2) providing hypoxia during exercise, with the primary goal being to enhance the training stimulus. Each approach has many different possible application strategies, with the essential variable among them being the "dose" of hypoxia necessary to achieve the desired effect. One approach, called living high-training low, has been shown to improve sea-level endurance performance. This strategy combines altitude acclimatization (2500 m) with low altitude training to ensure high-quality training. The opposite strategy, living low-training high, has also been proposed by some investigators. The primacy of the altitude acclimatization effect in IHT is demonstrated by the following facts: (1) living high-training low clearly improves performance in athletes of all abilities, (2) the mechanism of this improvement is primarily an increase in erythropoietin, leading to increased red cell mass, V O 2max , and running performance, and (3) rather than intensifying the training stimulus, training at altitude or under hypoxia leads to the opposite effect-reduced speeds, reduced power output, reduced oxygen flux-and therefore is not likely to provide any advantage for a well-trained athlete.

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“…Even though some studies reported increased mitochondrial density or citrate synthase activity(44-46), others did not (47,48). Stray-Gundersen et al reported no change in aerobic enzyme activities after a 4 week study with runners living at 2,500 m and training either at low or moderate altitudes (48).…”

Section: Skeletal Musclementioning

confidence: 99%

Exercise and Training at Altitudes: Physiological Effects and Protocols

Vargas-Pinilla¹

2014

Rev Cienc Salud

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An increase in altitude leads to a proportional fall in the barometric pressure, and a decrease in atmospheric oxygen pressure, producing hypobaric hypoxia that affects, in different degrees, all body organs, systems and functions. The chronically reduced partial pressure of oxygen causes that individuals adapt and adjust to physiological stress. These adaptations are modulated by many factors, including the degree of hypoxia related to altitude, time of exposure, exercise intensity and individual conditions. It has been established that exposure to high altitude is an environmental stressor that elicits a response that contributes to many adjustments and adaptations that influence exercise capacity and endurance performance. These adaptations include increase in hemoglobin concentration, ventilation, capillary density and tissue myoglobin concentration. However, a negative effect in strength and power is related to a decrease in muscle fiber size and body mass due to the decrease in the training intensity. Many researches aim at establishing how training or living at high altitudes affects performance in athletes. Training methods, such as living in high altitudes-training low, and training high-living in low altitudes have been used to research the changes in the physical condition in athletes and how the physiological adaptations to hypoxia can enhance performance at sea level. This review analyzes the literature related to altitude training focused on how physiological adaptations to hypoxic environments influence performance, and which protocols are most frequently used to train in high altitudes.

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Effect of Altitude Training on Runner's Skeletal Muscle

Cited by 14 publications

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Live high:train low increases muscle buffer capacity and submaximal cycling efficiency

Live high:train low increases muscle buffer capacity and submaximal cycling efficiency

Intermittent Hypoxic Training: Fact and Fancy

Exercise and Training at Altitudes: Physiological Effects and Protocols

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