The Benefits of Altitude Training
You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from altitude training. If you plan an adventure up high, taking steps before and during your experience can make a huge difference in your enjoyment.
What is Altitude Sickness? What causes it?
As you head further up from sea level, the air pressure decreases, which makes your body work harder to take in the more limited oxygen(O2).
Since there is less oxygen in the air that you are breathing, the available O2 molecules are more spread out, meaning you have to take in much more air to get the O2 you need. Because it is harder to get oxygen into your lungs, your body compensates by breathing harder and more rapidly, which also increases your heart rate.
Your body senses the reduced O2 levels at altitude. So your kidneys tell your bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. This is your body’s O2 shuttle system, so more red blood cells means you can carry more O2 from your lungs to your muscles and the rest of your body. More oxygen means your muscles can convert your stored carbs into energy faster and more efficiently. Making more red blood cells also means more plasma, the non-cell part of the blood that prevents your blood from getting too thick. All this extra work means your body has to work that much harder to do basic functions like walking, digesting food, thinking straight, etc. until it can adjust.
Who Gets Mountain Sickness aka Altitude Sickness?
While many people begin to feel the effects of high altitude at around 8000’/2438m, there are some who start to feel the effects at 5000’/1524m.
Your physical condition is NOT an indicator of whether or not you will experience ill effects from altitude sickness. You can be at peak conditioning, yet still suffer, or be completely out of shape and feel fine. There are ways to help mitigate your bad side effects discussed further below.
You are likely to experience negative effects of altitude if you try to climb faster than your body can adjust to the new pressure. Dehydration also can play a major effect, so be sure to drink plenty of water or sports drinks and avoid alcohol. Altitude’s lower humidity combined with your increased heart and breathing rate means you are losing more moisture vapor with every exhalation.
What are the Symptoms of Altitude Sickness?
At first, you may feel a mild headache and a bit queasy. As you continue to climb, these symptoms can get worse, particularly if you try to climb too fast. You may have difficulty sleeping, and/or become dizzy .
Altitude sickness is the mildest form of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which can become serious and even life threatening. At its worse, you may experience High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) where you will become short of breath, or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), where you become confused. These can be life threatening conditions and you need to descend to a lower elevation until conditions improve IMMEDIATELY, even if you only have 300 m more to climb. Many people have ignored severe signs of HACE or HAPE, and not lived to tell the tale. You need to listen to your body, even if it means bailing on your trip of a lifetime. The mountain will be there another day; ignoring severe symptoms means you may not be there to climb it!
History of Mountain Sickness
Hikers and climbers have complained about mountain sickness for millennia: Ancient Chinese text from as far back as 30 BCE described “Big Headache Mountain”, believed to be the Kilik Pass in the Kara Mountains of Pakistan at 28,000’/2600m.
High Altitude Adventures covered on the Active Travel Adventures podcast
- Machu Picchu – Cuzcu (11,152’3400m)
- Bolivia, La Paz (11,942’/3600m)
- Mont Blanc Circuit (8478’/2584m)
- Alps (Highest top off at 15,000’/4600m
- Kilimanjaro (19,341’/5900m)
- Himalayas
- Bhutan Druk Trek (12,500’+/3800m)
- Everest Base Camp Nepal (17,598’/5364 m)
- Annapurna Circuit (17,769’/5416m)
- Nepal at lower elevations en route but not to Everest Base Camp
How to Prevent Mountain Sickness
While no guarantee, there are certain things you can do before and during your adventure to minimize negative effects of high altitude.
Before Your Trip:
Physical Training for Altitude Adventures
While peak physical condition is no guarantee, the better condition of your lungs and heart prior to climbing, means your body will be more efficient managing the new conditions it faces.
Our guest today, Becki Rupp, founder of Trailblazer Wellness, an online Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach, can help you create a personalized training regimen to maximize your fitness for your particular adventure – see her “About” section below. Becki has also given us some free training videos to get you started, also linked below.
Training Your Lungs for Lower O2 Levels at High Altitude
The idea is for your body to get used to performing with less oxygen AND to increase your red blood cells so you can carry more O2. Many athletes move to higher altitudes in order to train. Studies have shown that the ideal elevation to train is from around 5000 – 8000′(1525’/2450m), about the elevation of Denver (5280’/1600m). Other high elevation cities include Santa Fe (7200’/2200m) and Flagstaff (6900’/2100m). But not everyone has the ability to train in high elevation. So what other options do you have?
Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT)
My body has never liked high altitude, and I usually feel a mild headache and nausea once I reach 12,000’/3700m. So before my trek in Bhutan, I trained my lungs with an altitude training mask. A hiking buddy turned me on to this easy to use breathing trainer. Athletes use it to enhance their performance, but it can help hikers, too. It comes with instructions so you can tailor the exercises to your adventure.
Some parts of the country offer Altitude Training Classes that you can explore. Many of them are at elevations between 8000′-12,000′ or simulate these O2 levels, but a Cleveland Clinic study found the previously mentioned 5000-8000′ zone more effective, as you also experience muscle loss at higher elevations, so this middle zone is the sweet spot.
If you’ve got plenty of dough, then consider getting an oxygen tank with a nasal cannula. A doctor may need to prescribe. Alternately, you might get lucky, like my guest Cindy, who climbed Kilimanjaro . She was able to train in an Altitude Tent at her local university.
In all cases, it is wise to get a Pulse Oximeter to check your oxygen saturation to make sure you stay in a safe zone and to check your progress. They aren’t that expensive.
For some people, your actual performance may not improve by doing these breathing exercises, but you will feel better, so to me, it’s worth it just for that.
I stupidly didn’t train when I, a sea level gal, drove up to camp and hike in the Big Horn National Forest, at about 10,000’/3050m. I had a terrible reaction to the altitude.
I was abnormally short of breath while hiking earlier in the day, but blew it off. That night, I woke up with sustained extremely high blood pressure and heart rate – stroke like levels – scaring me enough to drive back down the mountain to 5000′, and to cancel the rest of my road trip. I truly thought I was having a heart attack or stroke.
How Far in Advance Do I Need to Train for Altitude?
It takes 21 to 60 days for your body to get the full benefit of Altitude Training using breath work methods. So while it’s always a good idea to get to high altitude locations a couple of days in advance for your body to normalize air pressure before a high altitude adventure, ideally, you’ll want to do your breathing training for about two months AND get there early.
How Long does my Altitude Training Last?
While your red blood cell levels will still be high after two weeks, they will be declining. Aftger four weeks, it will be as though you never trained at all.
Training Video links
Body Weight Strength Training (no weights needed)
Backpack workout 1 (using your backpack for strength training)
Backpack workout 2
High Intensity Interval Training workout
During Your High Altitude Adventure
There are several things you can do to help alleviate any bad side effects of high altitude while you are at altitude over 2500m:
1. Arrive early and allow a 2-3 days to adapt to the lower oxygen levels.
2. Avoid any strenous exercise during these first days.
3. Drink plenty of water
4. Don’t smoke and avoid alcohol
5. For mild cases, it is ok to take ibuprofen or paracetamol for headaches, or anti-sickness medicine, such as promethazine for nausea
6. Avoid climbing higher than 1000-1500”/300-500m per day
7. Take a rest day every 3-4 days or every 2000-3000’/600-900m to give your body time to acclimatize
8. Some treks will have you climb high, and then come down a bit to sleep
9. Choose tour operators that climb at a slower pace, even though it means it will cost more money and take more vacation days, you will be less likely to have altitude issues if you allow the maximum time possible for your body to acclimatize.
Your Three Step Plan for Altitude Adventures
1. Train before your trip
2. Realize and accept that you will be uncomfortable and will probably suffer a bit (and possibly a lot)
3. Climb SLOWLY, keep hydrated and listen to your body
Becki Rupp, founder of Trailblazer Wellness
Becki is a Certified Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach. She has been a sea kayak tour guide and part of a wilderness search and rescue team. Her goal at Trailblazer Wellness is to give folks like you and me the strength, skills and confidence to tackle our adventerous dreams.
10% DISCOUNT PROMO CODE
Trailblazer Wellness offers coaching packages for 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Active Travel Adventures listeners can get 10% off one package by emailing Becki@trailblazerwellness.com and referencing the ATA discount.
The Trailblazer Wellness Blog
The Trailblazer Wellness blog covers many topics related to fitness and travel, and also includes links to guest blog posts Becki has written for other sites on those topics. Here are just a few:
10 Habits of Active Travelers
Preparing for Your First Multi-Sport Adventure Trip – Physically and mentally
3 Reasons to Work with a Health Coach Before your Trip
Training for Long Distance Hiking
Get Ready for Your Next Trip in 5 Simple Steps
The Trailblazer Wellness eNewsletter
Becki sends out an enewsletter every other week, which include links to blog posts and other helpful tidbits. Go HERE to sign up.
ATA listeners can get a FREE Initial Phone Consultation with my affiliate Becki at Trailblazer Wellness. Plus, you can get 10% OFF any customized online training program for your next big adventure!
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