Altitude Training May Improve Subsequent Endurance Performance In Elite Runners

Abstract

Native lowlanders sojourn to altitude as many coaches and athletes believe there may be a benefit for subsequent sea level performance. The scientific literature generally corroborates the anecdotal evidence with a mean (± SD) improvement in endurance performance of 1.9 ± 2.4% and 1.6 ± 1.8% reported (Bonetti & Hopkins, Sports Medicine 39, 2009) when using a live-high train-high approach and a live-high train-low approach, respectively. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a three week training period at moderate altitude improves the frequency and margin of personal best performances over an entire track and field season (typically May-September) in elite endurance runners. METHODS: Fourteen male (n=8) and female (n=6) elite endurance runners (800m-10,000m event groups) undertook a four week altitude training period prior to the 2010 track season. Athletes slept at 1850m and trained for the majority of their sessions at 1800-2000m, except for 2 sessions per week at a lower altitude (1537m). A retrospective analysis was undertaken of race performances for the track and field seasons 2008-2010. The number of personal best performances for each season was collated and a one-way ANOVA was used to determine if there were differences between seasons. When differences were identified using the simple main effects analysis, seasons were examined using paired-sample t-tests. RESULTS: 24 personal best performances were recorded in 2010 which was greater than the number of personal best performances recorded in 2008 (15: p=0.010) and 2009 (16: p=0.018). The overall improvement in performance was 0.8%, 0.9% and 1.4% in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Four weeks living and training at moderate altitude prior to the track and field season resulted in more personal best performances compared to the previous two years in a group of 14 elite endurance runners (equating to an improvement in performance of 1.4%). A limitation of the present investigation was that training load was not controlled, but given that the present athletes were highly trained, it may be expected that the rate of progression would be similar or gradually smaller for each subsequent year. This study therefore suggests that a four week training period at altitude may be beneficial for subsequent endurance running performance.