Altitude Training query

gerrymc · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 387

Query for all you knowledgeable people.

I've had a few bad experience with events at altitude and would like to try change this. don't have the option of living or training at altitude but there's a gym relatively local which offers altitude spin classes.

my query is does this just improve your fitness or does it also help you to acclimatise, it appears to be the latter I have the issues with. all the reviews tend to talk about fitness improvements but I would like to know that if I return to altitude will my body be able to cope better with the altitude.

Gerry Mc
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tuckandgo · Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 461

I don't know the clear answer, but to guide your 'research' I believe that altitude is best combined with lower intensity efforts so if the spin class is 30 second or 1 minute bursts it may not be great.

However, the concept of training in a hypoxic chamber definitely works. You are following the sleep low train high philosophy. Some would argue that sleep high train low is even more effective.

(but I know nothing about spin classes Smile

stenard · Joined: 04 Sep 2013 Posts: 2063

But on the sleep low train high basis, it seems counter productive to just restrict your oxygen intake for a standard intense spin session. You're just going to be able to do less work and therefore get less training benefit, surely? The main benefit from altitude comes from the increased red blood cell count etc, that evolves over a few weeks of being at altitude.

We've had a club talk by Andy Vernon before, and he was clear they still do their track sessions during altitude camps back down the mountain. As otherwise they'd just be compromising the training.

A spin class such as these just seems to be akin to the masks that restrict the air you can intake. And I thought they were all debunked as pointless?
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explorerJC · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 16060 Location: Farthingstone

the science is unclear....and very individualised....

but, as a generalisation, training high doesn't immediately help your sea level performance...

it helps to acclimatise to reduced oxygen pressure and thus perform at altitude...

and TnG is correct, aerobic training is key...
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gerrymc · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 387

from what I've been reading I thought the opposite, the masks just restrict the flow of air whereas the altitude chamber mimics all the effects of altitude.

Once again I do not have the option of training high/sleeping low or vice versa

GerryMc
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Tada gan Iarracht ( Irish proverb meaning- Nothing without Effort)

Tread softly because you tread on my 'Tri' dreams. - W.B. Yeats (and me)

tuckandgo · Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 461

gerrymc · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 387

I'm confused now as some of their info calls it an altitude chamber where as more calls it a hypoxic chamber. Sad

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Tada gan Iarracht ( Irish proverb meaning- Nothing without Effort)

Tread softly because you tread on my 'Tri' dreams. - W.B. Yeats (and me)

Doca · Joined: 27 Feb 2014 Posts: 256

There was a good podcast on flocycling about training & racing at altitude:
https://soundcloud.com/user-198147103/faster-podcast-by-flo-episode-18-how-to-train-and-race-at-altitude

Chrace · Joined: 28 Apr 2010 Posts: 2910 Location: Eating a Yorkie

I thought train high sleep low was from mountaineering?

We did it when climbing Kili, get a few hundreds meter further up from camp and stay for a few hours, then go lower to sleep and recover. I tried doing some rock climbing at ~4km which was ridiculously hard.

Not sure how I would acclimatize for racing at altitude other than being there 1-2 weeks prior to the event. I felt we lost all of it within a very short time after climbing Kili when we were again at height a week later (although a lot lower).
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gerrymc · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 387

Jorgan · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 1:56 pm Post subject:

explorerJC · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 16060 Location: Farthingstone

Chrace · Joined: 28 Apr 2010 Posts: 2910 Location: Eating a Yorkie

Jorgan · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 3:15 pm Post subject:

gerrymc · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 387

Everything i read is either giving the fitness benefits of training at altitude or telling you how to prepare inthe days pre race at altitude.

What im trying to work out is if there's a way to prepare my body for altitude while training at sea level.

While resting ive been ok but i really really struggle with any effort at altitude
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Tada gan Iarracht ( Irish proverb meaning- Nothing without Effort)

Tread softly because you tread on my 'Tri' dreams. - W.B. Yeats (and me)