Effects of height on sports performance

25 April 2018Updated on April 25, 2018

3 reading minutes

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Although the negative effects on altitude are quite individual if there is enough research and experience in this regard. We tell you in this article

Our collaborator Rebook Performance he tells us on this occasion what effect height training has on the body of an athlete.

The effects of height are not well known to many athletes, since it is not usual to compete in this type of environment. However anyone who has had the opportunity to train in height with a power meter will have realized the greatest difficulty in maintaining the usual powers. Even professional athletes have suffered its consequences

article on effects of altitude training

Although the negative effects on altitude are quite individual if there is enough research and experience in this regard and can be summarized as follows:

REST OF THE AEROBIC POWER

The performance in endurance sport depends to a large extent on oxygen consumption. Those that genetically have greater capacity to use it will have a higher yield. However, when performing a competition in height, it is necessary to adapt to a lower concentration and oxygen pressure that suppose an evident decrease in aerobic power.

Según un meta-study the average performance decrease is one 6,3% each 1000m regarding the usual training height. These differences can be even greater depending on genetics, habitual residence and acclimatization status. It is not the same as a Kenyan who has lived more than 2.000m in height for generations than someone who lives at sea level, nor the one who performs 3-4 concentrations at altitude than the one who has never raised it to more than 1.500m

To calculate this decrease in a more accurate way and knowing that the decrease occurs in an almost linear way, there is a study that from my experience is very close to reality:

HEIGHT	% Oxygen	ACCLIMATED	NOT ACLIMITED
1219m	17,9%	95,90%	93,20%
1524m	17,3%	94,40%	91,10%
1829m	16,6%	92,70%	88,90%
2134m	16%	90,70%	86,50%
2438m	15,4%	88,60%	84,20%
2743m	14,8%	86,30%	81,70%
3048m	14,3%	83,70%	79,30%
3658m	13,2%	78%	74,70%

As an example if we want to work in the Functional Threshold area and this is 300w, working in the Sierra Nevada CAR at 2320m high we will have a decrease in the performance of an 11% (267w) if we are acclimated and up to an 15% (255w ) if we are not.

DECREASE OF GREASE OXIDATION

The oxidation of fatty acids requires more oxygen than that of carbohydrates (study). Thus, under conditions of reduced oxygen, the use of fats for energy is difficult and the consumption of CH will be higher. Something that we will have to get used to in training by ingesting as much HC as possible and that we will have to put into practice in competition.

REDUCTION OF CEREBRAL OXYGENATION

There is increasing evidence that inadequate oxygen availability in the brain promotes central fatigue. Fatigue is an emotion, part of a complex regulation of the brain, which aims to protect the body from harm. Cerebral oxygenation is one of the major triggers of the perception of fatigue and decreased performance. The brain has an unconscious safety mechanism that is activated to prevent the body from approaching dangerous limits (study)

ABSTRACT

As we have seen the performance can decrease in height for three different reasons. The training in height or hypoxia conditions can allow us to obtain a higher performance in this type of tests, many times more than spending hours and hours training under normal conditions.

Do not underestimate the height and if you have occasion, test how much your performance can be reduced. As in all training it is important to individualize, but in this case even more