Live High, Train Low: The benefits of altitude training

Posted November 13, 2007 at 08:17 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: Training

Many endurance athletes utilize altitude training. While it was once a controversial topic, researchers now universally agree that when done correctly altitude training offers many benefits. 

So how does altitude training work? When you are exposed to hypoxia (oxygen reduced environments) your body struggles to produce the required energy needed to perform due to less oxygen available.  This struggle initiates many physiological adaptations that enhance the efficiency of your body’s respiratory, cardiovascular, and oxygen transport systems.

Scientists now believe that the best method for improving sports performance is by following the “live high, train low” concept.  Traditional altitude training has athletes train at high altitudes, but the positive benefits were canceled out by the fact that with such little oxygen athletes have a reduced ability to train hard. Athletes can still benefit from training at high altitudes, but it is necessary to come back to sea level for high intensity training sessions where oxygen is more available. The “live high train low” concept allows for the best of both worlds.

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