Altitude training: the trick that isn’t really a trick

This is precisely why top athletes, mountaineers, and expedition travellers have used altitude as a training stimulus for decades. Not because it's a hack, but because the body constantly tries to adapt to conditions with less oxygen.

Why people think altitude training is a gimmick

When something is used by Olympic champions, professional cyclists and top marathon runners, the image of a secret method quickly arises. Altitude training has therefore sometimes acquired an almost mythical reputation.

Yet there is nothing artificial about it. The body naturally possesses mechanisms to cope with less oxygen. As soon as you go higher, the air pressure drops. This makes it more difficult to absorb sufficient oxygen. The body reacts immediately.

That process is described in detail in our guide to how altitude training works.

The reaction begins within hours. Respiration changes, heart rate temporarily increases, and various hormonal processes are activated. Deeper adaptations then develop over days and weeks.

What is really happening in your body?

Many athletes focus solely on red blood cells. They are important, but they are only one part of a much larger system.

Upon exposure to altitude, the following processes, among others, are activated:

• Increased EPO production
• Stimulation of red blood cell formation
• Improved oxygen delivery in tissues
• Muscle cell adaptations
• More efficient energy production
• Changes in ventilation and breathing

This allows the body to ultimately cope more efficiently with available oxygen.

If you want to understand more deeply why this is happening, also read how altitude training affects EPO levels.

The video that explains altitude training surprisingly well

Sometimes a short video explains a complex topic better than ten pages of theory. The video below shows in an accessible way how the body reacts when oxygen becomes less available.

Although the explanation is kept simple, the core aligns excellently with what scientists know today about acclimatisation and performance improvement through altitude.

The interesting thing is that virtually all the benefits from the video can ultimately be traced back to one central stimulus: controlled oxygen deficiency.

Higher altitude does not automatically mean better results

One of the biggest misconceptions is that higher altitudes are always better.

In reality, there is an optimal zone in which the body receives sufficient stimulation without a significant deterioration in recovery and sleep quality.

Therefore, many top athletes use the principle of sleep high, train low. They sleep at altitude, but carry out intensive training at lower altitudes.

This creates an interesting combination:

• sufficient hypoxic stimulus
• maintaining training quality
• Better recovery
• lower risk of overload

Who does altitude training actually work for?

Altitude training is often associated with elite sport, but that image is too limited.

In practice, we broadly see three groups of users:

• endurance athletes looking to improve performance
• mountain sportspeople wanting to acclimatise
• expedition travellers who want to reduce altitude risks

For runners, it can be interesting to read more about altitude training for runners.

For travellers heading to the Himalayas, Andes, or Kilimanjaro, it's often less about performance and more about preparation. In those situations, acclimatising at home for mountain expeditions be a valuable addition.

This is how you monitor this lens

The success of altitude training is not judged on feeling alone.

The important thing is that SpO2 is always viewed as a trend. A single measurement says little. The development over several days provides much more information.

Rocky training is een slimme keuze wanneer u wilt verbeteren uw aerobe conditie en uithoudingsvermogen. Het kan ook nuttig zijn voor atleten die strijden in sporten waar hoogte een significante factor is, zoals bergbeklimmen, skiën en trailrunning.

Conclusion

Altitude training is sometimes described as a gimmick. This does not do justice to what is actually happening. The body naturally possesses powerful mechanisms to adapt to low-oxygen conditions.

When the stimulus is applied in a controlled manner, both athletes and mountaineers can benefit from it.

The art isn't in going to extremes. The art lies in the right dosage, sufficient recovery, and a systematic approach.