See Results Faster – Why Altitude is Great for the Busy Professional

by ALTITUDE ATHLETIC | Altitude Training Information, General Fitness

With many of us back to the office – we can no longer be as generous with our lunchtime workouts. If you can squeeze a lunchtime workout in, often it’s less than an hour — which isn’t much if you factor in transit time to the gym and showering after the workout. So, how do you get the most out of your workout in the shortest amount of time and see faster results? Training at altitude presents an ideal solution to this dilemma.

It’s What’s in the Air That’s Different

Efficiency is one of the greatest assets of altitude. Training in an environment with less available oxygen triggers physiological adaptations (changes in the body) that can lead to fitness and performance benefits. And due to the unique demands altitude puts on the body, results can be seen in less time than the same workout at sea-level.

You will be working harder at altitude. For instance, your heart rate will be elevated and your cardiovascular, pulmonary and oxygen utilization systems will be working harder to meet the energy demand required with less oxygen available.

Higher Efficiency, Lower Impact

Despite being harder in some aspects, people are often surprised to learn that altitude training is much easier on the joints. You can work at a lower impact with less wear and tear on the body, and get the same if not better benefits than sea-level training in less time.

While commonly praised for its physiological benefits among professional athletes, an adaptive approach to exercising at altitude can enhance anyone’s overall fitness. Efficient in burning more calories during a given amount of time than at sea level, the time-crunched gym-goer can get a great workout completed in as little as 30 minutes — a reasonable amount of time to squeeze in to busy days.

Simulated Altitude Training

This all sounds great – but this whole time you may have been wondering how on earth you are going to get up to altitude if you live in a sea-level city, like Toronto. That’s where simulated altitude training comes in.

Altitude training is exercising in, sleeping in, or simply inhaling the oxygen-reduced air that you find at high altitudes. Simulated altitude gyms are one of the best methods for replicating high altitude conditions at sea-level. Picture a gym that is fully-equipped with treadmills, bikes, squat racks and dumbbells but encased in a high-altitude chamber.

It’s All in The Science

The latest research on simulated altitude training shows greater improvements in body composition, overall fitness and health factors for the same amount of training at sea-level. In on study, participants saw a greater increase in muscle mass with 7 weeks of altitude training compared to participants doing the equivalent sea-level training. The altitude group saw an increase in muscle mass of 1.80% compared to the sea-level group, which saw an increase of just 0.38%. Also, the altitude group saw a significant decrease in fat mass of 6.83% compared to the sea level group, which actually increased their fat mass by 1.26%.

To read the full study, click here.

It’s time to see faster results. For more info on training at Altitude, check out our memberships and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Climbing Kilimanjaro? Here’s Why You Should Be Doing Simulated Altitude Training

by Altitude Athletic | Altitude Training Information, Hiking, Climbing and Mountaineering

You’ve decided to climb Kilimanjaro. At 5,895 m, you’ll be tackling the tallest mountain in Africa. Are you ready?

Being physically prepared is critical to a successful climb. You want to think back on your trip with fond memories of reaching the summit and feeling good, not turning back early. For most of us, these trips are an expensive, once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Having to cut your trip short due to altitude sickness, lack of fitness or both is a shame. Especially because there are tools out there to help prevent that from happening.

Simulated Altitude Training for Climbing Kilimanjaro

If you live at sea-level and can’t easily access the mountains, you may want to consider what’s called ‘simulated altitude training’. Simulated altitude training is exercising in or breathing air with less oxygen to replicate the thinner air you find up in the mountains. Simulated altitude is created by decreasing the percentage of oxygen in the air below 20.9% oxygen (the amount of oxygen in the air at sea-level).

From sleeping in an altitude tent to lifting weights at an altitude gym, simulated altitude training methods can be used to get you ready for Kilimanjaro. We break down the two most commonly used methods below:

Method 1: Intermittent Hypoxic Training

Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) is living at sea-level and exercising at altitude. If you’ve got a stationary bike or treadmill at home, you can use a simulated altitude training mask to breath hypoxic air while you’re training. Otherwise, there are special gyms that can actually simulate altitude with no masks needed.

These shorter duration workouts at simulated altitude are designed to provide a greater training intensity. They trigger physiological adaptations that can improve overall health and performance. These adaptations require a minimum training period of 4-6 weeks, 3-4x per week. Sessions should last around 60 minutes.

Simulated Altitude Gym – Intermittent Hypoxic Training

Perform better at high-altitude

IHT optimizes the body’s ability to use and process the oxygen available to it. Why does that matter to you as a hiker preparing for Kilimanjaro? Because when your muscles and tissues use oxygen more efficiently, you can sustain longer periods of exertion. This becomes especially important when there is less oxygen available to you at high altitudes.

Another good thing about training your body to use oxygen more efficiently? You’ll reduce reliance on supplemental oxygen. Usually, climbers do not need supplemental oxygen to climb Kilimanjaro or reach the summit. But, if you find yourself in a position where you do need it, training at altitude can help extend the life of your oxygen tank.

Delay fatigue and recover faster between treks

The more you can push away the start of fatigue during your trek, the better. In altitude environments, metabolic by-products associated with fatigue build up quicker with less oxygen available to the muscles. (Think of that burning feeling in your legs during a hard spin class). Training at simulated altitude can reduce and delay the onset of fatigue during physical activity by increasing the buffering capacity of metabolic by-products. We’re essentially making our bodies better at pushing away these fatigue-causing by-products.

Method 2: Live High, Train Low

Live high train low (LHTL) is living at high altitudes and training at lower altitudes (close to sea-level). Living in an altitude environment stimulates changes in the blood that can lead to improved performance and help with pre-acclimation.

If you live at sea-level, it’s not easy to just pack up and move out to a place like Flagstaff, Arizona where you can live at 2100m and a short 30-minute commute can get you to 950m. An easier option? Sleep tents and larger altitude tents can be set up at home, so you can get 6+ hours of high-altitude exposure and then be back down to sea-level in seconds. This strategy requires a minimum of 3-4 weeks. However, 6-12 weeks is better so that the altitude can be ramped up slowly.

Reduce risk of Acute Mountain Sickness

LHTL can lower the age of red blood cells and increase hemoglobin mass (hemoglobin is an oxygen-carrying protein). These changes in the blood can help reduce and prevent symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Also, many people struggle when sleeping at altitude. Fatigue will increase the risk of something going wrong on the mountain. Sleeping at altitude in the weeks leading up to your trip will help your body get used to the reduced oxygen and improve quality of sleep.

Altitude Sleep Tent for Live Low Train High

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a physical challenge. Many people underestimate the fitness required for this mountain. (Or say they would have enjoyed the trip more had they been in better shape.)Simulated altitude training will not only help you get in shape for the climb, but also prepare you for the altitude. Then, your hard work will be rewarded by a beautiful, peaceful and enjoyable climb.

References:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Altitude Athletic is Toronto’s first and one of the largest altitude training facilities in the world. We’re here to help you prepare for your next big climb, event or meet your health goals. Click here to learn more about what we do at Altitude.

Contact Us

A Conversation With Justyn Knight – Canadian Record Holder and Olympic Track Star

by TJ McInnes | Altitude Training Information, Endurance, General Fitness, Power

“Don’t be scared to fail, I fail all the time” – Justyn Knight

At the end of the February, we capped off The Altitude 5K Challenge. This was a challenge for runners of all levels to see who can run the fastest 5km on the treadmill when the altitude chamber is set to 9000ft elevation.

After a month that saw all sorts of runners from the community come out and participate in some friendly competition, we were left with our winners. Congratulations to our top runners – Dan Rowland and Catherine Dawe – on running the fastest times of 18:20 and 23:00 respectively in the male and female categories.

To top off our event, I was able to do an interview via Instagram live with one of the world’s fastest 5km runners, Justyn Knight. It was full of laughs, heartfelt words and some “off the track questions.”

If you are unfamiliar with Justyn, he has a fairly impressive resume on the track. Justyn competed at the Tokyo Olympics, placing 7^th overall in the 5000m race. He’s also the Canadian record holder for the indoor 1500m. He holds the second fastest 5000m in North America running a time of 12 minutes and 51 seconds. He’s a two-time world finalist, two-time NCAA champion and jokingly the best self-proclaimed dual athlete in the Greater Toronto Area (he actually might be right).

In today’s blog post, I will be highlighting some of Justyn’s responses in case you don’t have time to watch the entire interview. I get you are probably busy!

All Things Justyn And Running

“Was running always your passion?”

To some people’s surprise, for quite some time running was NOT his passion. Justyn was all about the “balling life” and lived and breathed basketball for much of his life, including high school. He actually got into running by accident, well sort of an accident. Although he was a stand out basketball athlete, he was not doing well in gym class, and to boost his mark he had to go run 5km.

Wearing only basketball shoes and shorts, he started his run and set a 5km school record. From there, he realized that he should give running a shot. But this came at a cost of choosing between running and basketball. I think he made the correct decision.

“What are some tips for someone just getting into running?”

Truly falling in love with running is something Justyn thinks is extremely important, it is not something you can do for 10 hours all day like shoot hoops, pucks or playing volleyball. It is a different type of fun, so you have to find ways to keep it fun. He also said, “Notice and internalize your wins in running, those will help you keep going no matter how small they are.”

“What are your tips for someone pursuing a career in running?”

Pursuing a career or any professional sport is extremely difficult and not glamourous like people might think it is. There is a lot of time spent in the proverbial “trenches of training”. You are on a journey that won’t be a straight line to the top. Don’t compare yourself to others because you have no idea where that person is on in their journey. We also live in a day and age of social media.

People posting their workouts can create a comparison culture. Justyn felt this when he would see people training paces that he wasn’t doing and sometimes felt discouraged. Running is very independent, so have faith in the way you are training. The greatest sprinter of all time – Usain Bolt – didn’t have very nice facilities or the best technology. So fancy isn’t always better.

Justyn On Tackling BIG Goals

Justyn has his own little spin when it comes to setting goals. You have probably heard of the acronym S.M.A.R.T goals – with the “R” standing for realistic. Well, when you compete at the highest level you probably have to do things a little differently and cliché acronyms might not work. That’s why Justyn talked about setting unrealistic goals for himself.

Of course, it takes some mental toughness to know you that you will likely fall consistently short of your goals. Justyn’s theory is that if he shows up to practice and trains for that unrealistic goal, falling short of his goal will still put him in a place of success. Races rarely go perfect. Even if you did everything right you can’t control what others do in the race. In his mind, if he just set realistic goals, he might not perform at the level he wants to.

Overcoming Failure

“People will say that was an L (loss), but to me that L stands for lesson, and you can always learn from a loss” – Justyn Knight

People looking from the outside in often just see Justyn as this incredibly successful runner. You hear the stories of the winning moments far more than the losses he had endured through his running career. He had two pivotal moments in his running career. The first one was during college when he first paced 143^rd and then one year later came in 4^th. The second was when he turned pro, he came in 25 pounds over race weight, running his slowest time ever and placing dead last.

He kept that race bib wrote his time on it and put it up on his fridge as a reminder of the disappointment he felt, and what he was working towards everyday. Justyn has a unique way of dealing with his failures. He doesn’t simply ignore them. But rather, immerses himself in his feelings and “feels bad” for himself for around 2 days before he bounces back. Once he bounces back, he remembers not to take today for granted because it will impact tomorrow.

Celebrating Successes

Justyn would not be where he is today if it wasn’t for his talent and incredible work ethic. He shared some of his sweetest memories of racing. In 2017, he went to the world championship finals and was racing against people he watched on TV. These were people who he looked up to as role models.

Prior to the race, he looked at the final heat and felt like he had no business being in that race. Yet he still placed in the middle of the pack in 9^th position – a milestone so young in his career. His all-time favourite memory was not at the Olympics. But rather winning a national championship with his team at Syracuse University. Running is a very independent sport. But when you win as a team and you can share that experience it just makes it so much more magical.

Fun Facts About Justyn

“Who is your childhood hero”

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, their work ethic was unmatched and that’s what I strive for.

“If you were to pick an animal that most closely represents your personality traits, what are you choosing?”

My little cockapoo dog, we both get up to no good.

“If you were going on a first date where is the first date taking place?”

Couldn’t give away his secret…..but he does love the cheese cake factory.

“What is your middle name”

Marcus

“What is your go to pump up song”

Rumors by Lil’ Dirk

“What is your pre race meal?”

It was chicken parmesan in college but now I don’t have to have it anymore because competing internationally you don’t know what food you will have access to.

“Do you do any cross training?”

He does weight training and plyometrics, but doesn’t really know his plan, just does what the coach tells him to do.

(As someone who trains lots of athletes, I can verify this happens more than often, even at the professional level.)

“Would you ever do a group run led by yourself for the local fans of Toronto?

Yes! As long as people are going to show up….so if you are in the Toronto area and love running be on the look out for this post.

It was an absolute pleasure to interview Justyn Knight, he is truly a one-of-a-kind person. He’s down-to-earth, humble and fiercely competitive. But he also knows not to take life so seriously and have some good laughs. He is a true leader in his community on and off the tack. Thank you Justyn!

You can follow him on Instagram @justyn.knight for more updates on his career and maybe a chance to participate in a community led run by the legend himself, stay tuned!

Training for Strength – The Power of the Sprint

by ALTITUDE ATHLETIC | Altitude Training Information, General Fitness, Power

Whether you’re looking to build endurance, improve your running economy, or build strength and power, including high-intensity sprint-based workouts is one of the best tools to integrate into your training arsenal.

There are many different types of workouts for endurance athletes. But today we’re going to focus on the benefits of high-intensity training, particularly sprint-style.

Sprint-interval workouts (SITs) offer three main benefits:

Improved time to exhaustion (aka, improved endurance)
Increased maximal running speed
Improved time trial speed (aka, improved running economy/speed)

“Low and slow” training has garnered a significant amount of attention in recent years as many endurance athletes have touted its benefits. Low-intensity, high-volume training can indeed be an effective way to train, but for athletes who are looking to improve on specific aspects of their performance or who feel they have “plateaued”, introducing SIT training can help to break through these performance ceilings.

Sprint Training: What and How?

There are many different approaches to introducing sprints into your routine. In fact, research has shown that completing 3 workouts per week for even just two weeks will result in improved performance. In this case, the workouts consisted of 4-7 rounds of 30 second “all out” sprints with 4 minutes of rest in-between. However, it has also been found throughout the duration of a full training program, no more than 20% of total training volume should be made up of high-intensity work. This may increase propensity of injury as well as create levels of bodily stress that are too difficult to recover from when total mileage is very high. As with all good endurance training plans, finding the right balance between volume and intensity is highly individualized.

In general, we recommend that beginner athletes (those who have been running or cycling for less than 1 year) start with a higher-intensity workout once per week. More seasoned athletes can do two, while being careful to plan other hard workouts far enough away from hard efforts to allow the body to recover. For example:

Sunday: Long Run

Monday: Off/Easy Cross Train

Tuesday: High Intensity (Tempo or Interval)

Wednesday: Recovery Run

Thursday: Off/Easy Cross Train

Friday: High Intensity (Tempo or Interval)

Saturday: Recovery Run

Remember that within any given run, there are loads of options and variability. For example, a tempo run may consist of all-out 30-second efforts like in the research. Or it may consist of something like 4 minute intervals at 70% of maximal effort. Changing things up is key!

Cons of SIT Training

From an injury standpoint, full-blown, 100% effort workouts should be used sparingly as they are quite challenging on the body. The amount of load associated with using muscles to their maximum capacity is quite a bit higher than just going for an average run. If the body isn’t used to this, tendons and muscles may rebel – resulting in muscle strains.

The other consideration for many people is that true sprint work is…hard work. To truly expend 90%+ of our maximal effort requires a high level of self-discipline and tolerance to discomfort. Of course, for those aiming to push the limits, this is part of the process. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it more fun. Here’s where you have to use some psychological tricks. Music and group classes are two great ways to turn a hard workout into a social competition.

Pros of SIT Training

As we mentioned, the performance gains from SIT training can be substantial. Another part of this equation is the improvement in mental toughness. In any race, long or short, comes a moment of self-doubt or inner critic that tells you that this does not feel good and to stop, now! The gifted athlete will recognize this feeling. They’ll learn to recognize it as a normal part of competition, even a good part of competition, and learn how to override it.

However, this can take practice. You are less likely to experience true, full fatigue with a slower workout. But when muscles are burning and the lungs and heart are pumping hard, it can require all you’ve got to not pull over to the side and stop. Experiencing this again and again, and also in the company of others can train you for what’s inevitably going to happen during race day so that you’re prepared to face discomfort head on.

Other Ways to Boost Speed and Power

One of the basic principles of training is the “Specificity” principle. Essentially, training specificity states that in order to achieve the greatest gains in our ability to perform a chosen task, the majority of our training must be spent performing that task or tasks that are extremely similar to it. Basically, what you practice is what you do. Going for a long walk won’t really help you with marathon training. Hours on an elliptical won’t improve your 100m sprint time. So, if you really do want to work on speed and power as a cyclist, you’ve really got to spend some time in the saddle.

However, there are other ways to help improve the body’s strength and conditioning. Primarily through specific strengthening exercises to targeted specific muscle groups. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges completed at high weight/low reps can improve the number and size of muscle fibres. This can assist you in being able to move faster and stronger. Note that specificity still applies here – someone engaged in cycling is best to focus on quadriceps and glute musculature while runners are wise to focus on the “springy” muscles like calves.

Finally, for runners in particular, another way to improve form, strength, and endurance is to add hill reps into your training program. Going up hills, focus on explosive power from your glutes, and high knees lifting through the hips. On the down, focus on trying to keep your feet underneath you and letting gravity do the work. Begin with 5 reps of 30 second uphill sprints, walking down. You can increase this number week to week and go as high as 10.

Remember – it never gets easier, you just get faster! And that’s the goal with sprint training!

About the Author

Lauren Roberts is a Registered Physiotherapist and Founder of The Running Physio in Toronto. For more information on her team, the clinic, and for more running and endurance sport blogs, visit www.therunningphysio.ca.

References:

Jerome Koral, D. J. (2018). Six Sessions of Sprint Interval Training Improves Running Performance in Trained Athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 617-623.

Seiler, S. (2019). What is Best Practice for Training Intensity and Duration Distribution in Endurance Athletes? Human Kinetics Journals, 276-291.

How to Run Your Fastest 5K Ever

by TJ McInnes | Altitude Training Information, Endurance, General Fitness

If you’re a beginner runner, 5 km is the perfect ‘first race” distance to prepare for. If you’re more experienced and enjoy speed, you can use the 5K distance as a platform to push faster times and try for new PBs. Regardless of your level or intention, completing a successful (and fast 5K) requires training and practice. Here are some tips on how to run your fastest 5K ever.

1. Have a Plan

Running a 5K fast is a challenge. And just like most other challenges in life, it helps to be prepared. So, unless your 5K is tomorrow, now is the time to make a plan. Start with answering, “what is your goal?”. Your goal should be realistic and dictated by how much time you can put into your training, how experienced you are and your current fitness level.

Having a plan ensures you aren’t just training blindly or trying to run 5km every training session. You should have a comprehensive schedule that includes a balance of speed work, recovery, base runs and strength training. Keep on track with your plan by monitoring your heart rate and pace.

In general, we recommend starting your training at least a month in advance. 3 months will give you plenty of time to get race ready, but it all comes back to your initial goal. Other variables like your fitness level and running experience will also play a part. Again, your plan should include a breakdown of your interval run days, base runs, strength/cross training and recovery to get the most out of your training.

Strategies like building a tapering period into the days leading up to your race will ensure you aren’t weighed down by training and have given your body the chance to recover and re-energize. If you keep on training hard right up until the day of your race, it might actually hinder your performance!

If this is all new to you and you don’t know how to plan? Reach out to one of our coaches at Altitude! You can book a coach consult to come into the facility and talk about your goals and training needs here: SCHEDULE COACH CONSULT

2. Incorporate Intervals

5Ks are fast-paced and usually over before you even know it. Be prepared to keep up with the pace and accelerate in key moments. In a marathon, you may get away with purely aerobic training. But in a 5K, you’ll want to work on what’s called your anaerobic energy system. Interval training (alternating between hard and easy efforts) will help increase your aerobic and anaerobic energy system. Need to pass someone quickly? Or finish pick your speed for the last leg of the race? You may need to tap in to your anaerobic energy system for the extra burst to make sure you reach your goal.

3. Start (or Continue) Strength Training

As runners, strength training can be a bit boring and feel unnecessary. But it’s actually a fundamental part of boosting speed and efficiency and protecting us from injury. Although the bulk of your training will be running, it would be a mistake to neglect strength.

Strength training can improve the elastic capabilities of your muscles and tendons. While you run, your muscles are contracting and using energy. It’s hard work! What if there was something that could save you from burning through precious energy in a race? Well, by strength training and working on plyometrics, you can tap into that elastic energy and reduce the load on your muscles. We can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to take advantage of an energy save like that!

Strength training can also keep tissue strong and resilient to reduce chance of acute and chronic injury. Remember, running is an impact sport, and strength training can save you from the aches and pains you can suffer down the road. This will allow you to do what you love more often.

4. Know Your Target Pace

Like we mentioned earlier, having a goal is key to running a fast 5km. So you will need to set a base line at the beginning of your training so you know a pace you can sustain over the 5km.

If you are just starting to get into running, you may have no idea. Just going out on a run and experimenting with speeds can be an easy way to pinpoint your starting pace. Additionally, there are many free pace calculators on the internet to help you get a feel for pacing. Wearable tech – like a smart watch – can also be used to help track your pace in real time.

Remember, shaving off significant time on your pace doesn’t happen overnight, stick to the training plan and make adjustments. That being said this leads us into our next tip.

5. Be Consistent

We have emphasized the importance of having a plan a few times in this post, only because it is so important. But we all know that sometimes things get in the way and plans go out the window. And that’s okay! If you find yourself in a situation where you are falling off track, remember that doing something is better than nothing, even if it’s not exactly what you planned.

As long as you are feeling good and pain-free, keep consistent with movement so that when your race day rolls around you aren’t coming into it from days (or even weeks) on the couch or at the desk. It can be helpful to create a Plan B workout for if you can’t make a run on a certain day – I.e., a quick 10-minute HIIT workout, a 30-minute walk during a conference call or some stretching at night to keep your body loose and mobile.

It also helps to find a running partner to train with (ideally on the same plan!) that can help keep you accountable and just makes training more fun to engage with others.

6. Work on Your Breath

You probably never thought you could be bad at something you do more than 20,000 times a day, but there are better ways to breathe and worse ways to breathe. And breathing can help you run a fast 5K.

Developing good breathing patterns will help you get sufficient O2 to your limbs to help your engine keep gunning. The diaphragm is a massive muscle and we need it to work well to breathe well, therefore training it is important. Secondly, nose breathing can help with relaxing our blood vessels to increase blood flow an O2 delivery systemically.

What is a good breathing pattern and how can you practice good breathing? Here’s an example: Lay on your back, put your feet flat on the ground (hook lying position). Next, put one hand on your chest the other on your stomach. Take a deep breath in through your nose, you should feel your stomach rise and then your chest. Practice breathing in through your nose for 5 seconds and slowly exhaling out for 5 seconds. The bonus of doing this is decreasing your stress levels too, so give it a try.

7. Recover Well

It isn’t all about the training! Your ability to run your fastest 5K is influenced by your ability to recover well throughout training. Recovery is so important, because this is when your body fulfills the adaptations you work so hard to get from training, like stimulating more robust energy systems and stronger tissue.

So how can you recovery well? It isn’t sexy like all the recovery modalities make it out to look like. Really you just need to focus on the basics – good nutrition, hydration and the most important, sleep. Once you’ve gotten that covered and do those few things then you can get into extra modalities like expensive massage guns, ice baths and red-light therapy.

So there you have it, that’s how you can run your fastest 5K ever. Even just taking a few of these tips will set you on the right back towards running your fastest 5K ever. And remember, at the end of the day the most important thing is that you have fun and enjoy each step along the 5000 m course.

We’re here to help you optimize your prep for any race distance. Learn more about training options at Altitude here.

About the Author

TJ McInnes

TJ McInnes is one of our Strength and Conditioning Coaches here at Altitude Athletics. He has a strong background in strength and conditioning and high performance coaching and is passionate about developing and delivering exercise programming that is tailored to his clients wants and needs. He has a particular interest in the athletic population and is constantly seeking a better understanding of the art and science of effective coaching.

A strong interest in sport and physical activity has led him to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. He went on to complete his Masters of Professional Kinesiology at the University of Toronto, with a specialization in high performance. He has since completed additional certification in a wide range of areas of nutrition, sleep and recovery, functional strength, neurology, biomechanics and exercise selection.

Altitude Training for Cardiac Rehab and Treatment

by Josh Downer | Altitude Training Information, General Fitness

WHY USE ALTITUDE TRAINING FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in men and women worldwide (1). Additionally, coronary artery disease and hypertension are two of the most prevalent forms of CVD. Physical inactivity is one of the main risk factors of CVD. Therefore, it is important that we improve the methods used to combat this disease.

Hypoxic exposures, and exercise (IHT) in a simulated altitude environment (hypoxic training) can provide greater improvements in CVD symptoms and the quality of life of CVD patients. (2)

Indeed, the benefits of hypoxic exposure and exercise have been shown to result in greater improvements than sea-level exercise and/or medication alone (3,4). Exercise in hypoxia can also be done with lower overall workloads and reduced physical effort for the same or greater aerobic training effect (1,5,6). Even for patients with advanced conditions or comorbidities that limit their ability to perform exercise, passive hypoxic exposure can improve many factors of CVD and increase exercise tolerance and capacity. For example, in older people with and without CVD, passive exposure improved resting heart rate, blood pressure, stress on the cardiac muscle (reduced rate pressure product), arterial oxygen content and peak workload compared to control groups (3).

Altitude Training For Cardiovascular Disease – Evidence-Based Benefits

Accumulated research over the past 50 years has demonstrated hypoxic exposure and exercise is safe, and effective for patients with varying levels of CVD (1,3,4) . Also, the research has shown the mechanisms underpinning why hypoxic exposure is more effective for CVD patients.

IHT increases mitochondrial metabolism and density (1,5), stimulates endothelial Nitric Oxide production enhancing vasodilation and increases capillary density. Indeed, these mechanisms result in numerous beneficial performance and CVD outcomes.

Clinically relevant improvements for hypertensive, CVD, and chronic heart failure patients that are greater than what would be seen with sea-level exercise or traditional interventions alone. These include:

Lower Resting Blood Pressure (1,3,4)
Lower Resting & Active HR (1,3,4)
Reduced Rate Pressure Product (Cardiac Stress) (3)
Fewer Hypertensive Episodes (4)
Increased Aerobic Capacity (2,3,5)
Increased Exercise Capacity & Tolerance (2,3)
Improved Quality of Life (2,4)

Protocols can be either passive or active and built for varying levels of exercise tolerance. For example, passive protocols involving intermittent hypoxic breathing (IHB)* are ideal for patients suffering from CVD or other co-morbidities who cannot tolerate exercise. Active protocols are designed to allow patients to ease into exercise without compromising performance benefit.

*IHB involves breathing very low oxygen air from a stationary position (seated) in a series of intervals interspersed with sea-level breathing.

Opportunities for Physicians and Clinics

Incorporate altitude training sessions during cardiac rehab
- Minimize deconditioning
- Reduce inflammation
- Regain fitness quicker
- Slowly increase training intensity without compromising fitness
Offer solutions for individuals with advanced conditions or comorbidities that limit their ability to perform exercise
- Prevent further decline in aerobic fitness
- Increase aerobic capacity, building toward increasing physical activity
- Increase exercise tolerance building toward future exercise programs