The main difference between running at high altitude versus running at sea level is that there’s less available oxygen in the air at high altitude. This means every breath you take provides less of what your muscles need in order to keep working, which requires that your body work harder to distribute oxygen throughout your tissues and process nutrient exchanges.
Running at high elevation challenges you to train harder by running in an environment where there is less oxygen in the air. At high elevations runners develop more red blood cells, which enables them to perform better at endurance events. After training for weeks or months at higher elevations, running at lower elevations often feels easier..
Research studies have explored the idea of taking advantage of the body’s physiological changes at high altitude as a “natural blood doping” effect. As the blood increases its red cell volume in response to a lower availability of oxygen, VO2 max also increases. Sea level performance has been shown to improve as a result (Journal of Applied Physiology, 1997, Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 102-112).
Tips for handling high altitude:
- Take it easy on day one and two
- Take a walk or nap upon arrival. Give your body time to adjust before taking on a full workout.
- Altitude is very dehydrating. Drink lots of water and juices, beginning during travel to high altitude.
- Avoid alcohol. It’s a diuretic and depresses the normal breathing response to altitude.
- Limit caffeine. It’s also a diuretic.
- Eat pasta. The carbs are good for athletes in general and at altitude there’s another benefit – the extra CO2 they produce spurs the breathing response.
- Avoid sleeping pills but do get a good night’s sleep.
Anyone willing to brave the potential uncomfortable transition to high-altitude running will reap a variety of benefits. The principal benefits of exercising and training at altitude are numerous – increased VO2 max, increased red blood cells (which enhances the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to its tissues), and increased athletic performance overall. Not to mention decreased body fat percentage, increased muscle and strength, and improved stamina upon returning to lower altitude.
Keep in mind though, while you might feel superhuman when you first head to lower altitudes, these effects are, unfortunately, temporary. Expect your high-altitude acclimatization to wear off within 10 to 20 days (or two to three months, depending on the source you consult) of arriving nearer to sea level. The more time you spend training at high altitude, though, the longer the benefits will last.