UP: Training UP High

All athletes seek a competitive advantage. Although the benefits of some interventions (like weight training, for example) are clear, most strategies are less well proven. Altitude is no exception to this. Training at high altitudes has been used by uber-competitive athletes to maximize their potential. The premise behind the method is that training at high altitude will translate to better athletic performance at sea-level. Exposing the body to high altitude causes it to acclimatize to the lower level of oxygen available in the atmosphere. Many of the changes that occur with this adaptation improve the distribution of oxygen to the muscles -the concept being that more oxygen will lead to better performance. Additionally, the body naturally produces a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) which stimulates the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, thus the more blood cells you have, the more oxygen you can deliver to your muscles. Other interesting adjustments the body makes at altitude include: an increase in the number of small blood vessels, an increase in buffering capacity (ability to manage the buildup of waste acid) and changes in the microscopic structure and function of the muscles themselves (Simpson, Alistair).

Via alimaxtraining.com

To be completely honest, I am not quite sure how I can translate the process of training at high altitudes into a final project but it is a unique aspect of UP we haven’t yet discussed in class thus far. I think how the body is designed to function at certain altitudes, and how we discovered ways to manipulate the training process to improve our own ability is fascinating. I could get creative with oxygen training masks, or different training equipment that could emulate what high altitudes do to the body/ what types of training is best suited for the stressful exercise created by being at high altitude. As far as interviewing goes, I could reach out to several groups of people. I could go the route of reaching out to individuals familiar with Olympic training protocol, or specific long-distance training methods. Or I could go the commercial route and find ways of how high-altitude training is now being applied to the common man. In the end, this is a very preliminary idea, and I am open to critique or feedback from anyone.