Altitude training is the kind of workout that's meant for professional athletes. Such kind of training includes working out at high altitudes for several weeks. Altitude training can take place in an area that's 2, 4000 meters above sea level.
As the name suggests, a high altitude place is somewhere the air pressure reduced, and that's what this sort of training makes use of. The decrease in air pressure means low oxygen for your body. This is also known as "thinning of the air."
Due to low oxygen levels, your body will start to make more red blood cells and hemoglobin to transport as much oxygen as possible to your organs. Such an increase in red blood cell levels benefits athletes during their competitions because it improves stamina levels and strength.
Here's a bit of history for you. The first altitude training was held after the Olympics of 1968. Since then, such training has been a part of many athletes' workout sessions.
Using Altitude masks:
Many athletes' use Altitude masks when training on the high altitudes. These masks are meant to make it harder for athletes to breath during their training session.
The theory behind altitude masks is that by making it harder for an athlete to exhale and inhale oxygen, they’ll exert more force on their lungs. Such increased exertion levels can lead to production of even more red blood cells and elevate cardiovascular health.
Sports that include altitude training:
Many sports include altitude training to help athletes become the best they can be. These sports are:
- Cycle racing
- Running
- Football
- Squash
- Swimming
- Rugby
What should you consider before starting altitude training?
Before starting your altitude training, you must consider these tips for achieving better results:
- You must do some sort of muscle training before starting. This is because your overall muscular power decreases while training at high altitudes.
- You should train 2 hours every day to make your training effective.
- The best altitude training can be done at the height of 1800 to 2200 meters.
- It is good to intake plenty of water because you will lose more fluid at higher altitudes.
Advantages of using altitude masks in training:
Using altitude masks during such training has many advantages. Some of them are:
- It increases the overall lung capacity, helping to increase oxygen levels in the body while you're training.
- Using altitude masks increases the force required by your lungs to breathe properly.
- It helps increase your stamina and muscles power.
- An altitude mask can also help in improving respiratory health.
Flaws in an Altitude Masks:
While it does have benefits, there are also some flaws when it comes to using an Altitude Masks. According to some athletes, an altitude mask may not be a good choice during such training.
- It can slow down your results:
An altitude mask can restrict your training session results. This is because trying hard to inhale and exhale may result in stressing yourself. It can also make your workout irritating.
- Effect on your sleep:
Using altitude masks for the training sessions may affect your sleep. Some of the athletes feel tired and sleepless after using altitude mask for training.
- Fatigue:
Using altitude masks during training may also result in higher fatigue levels. This also decreases the rate of recovery for an athlete.
In conclusion, the benefits of high altitude training are plenty. However, it’s the use of altitude masks that are a source of discussion. Though the theory behind the use of altitude masks does make sense, currently there isn’t a lot of scientific proof that can irrefutably support the use of such masks for better results during an athlete’s altitude training sessions.
Having said that, using such masks hasn’t necessarily brought forward severe side effects. There have been some cases where athletes have experienced better results due to using altitude masks.
