Abstract
With minimal costs and travel constraints for athletes, the “living low-training high” (LLTH) approach is becoming an important intervention for modern sport. The popularity of the LLTH model of altitude training is also associated with the fact that it only causes a slight disturbance to athletes' usual daily routine, allowing them to maintain their regular lifestyle in their home environment. In this perspective article, we discuss the evolving boundaries of the LLTH paradigm and its practical applications for athletes. Passive modalities include intermittent hypoxic exposure at rest (IHE) and Ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Active modalities use either local [blood flow restricted (BFR) exercise] and/or systemic hypoxia [continuous low-intensity training in hypoxia (CHT), interval hypoxic training (IHT), repeated-sprint training in hypoxia (RSH), sprint interval training in hypoxia (SIH) and resistance training in hypoxia (RTH)]. A combination of hypoxic methods targeting different attributes also represents an attractive solution. In conclusion, a growing number of LLTH altitude training methods exists that include the application of systemic and local hypoxia stimuli, or a combination of both, for performance enhancement in many disciplines.
Highlights
Individual- or team-sport athletes are constantly looking for training innovation to gain a competitive edge
Altitude/hypoxic training is often viewed as the practice adopted by athletes who live and train for several weeks at moderate natural altitude (1,800–2,500 m) in the lead up to competition, termed “living high-training high” (LHTH) (Millet et al, 2010)
The popularity of the LLTH model of altitude training is associated with the fact that it only causes a slight disturbance to athletes’ usual daily routine, allowing them to maintain their regular lifestyle in their home environment (McLean et al, 2014)
Summary
Individual- or team-sport athletes are constantly looking for training innovation to gain a competitive edge. The technological development of new tools that either decrease the atmospheric pressure in the room (e.g., hypobaric chambers) or reduce the fraction of O2 in the inspired air (FiO2) by diluting it with extra nitrogen or filtering out O2 (e.g., altitude tents, hypoxicator machines) has prompted renewed interest in LLTH interventions (Wilber, 2007). In this perspective article, we first discuss the evolving boundaries of the LLTH paradigm and its practical applications for athletes by providing an updated panorama of available methods (Figure 1) and we highlight areas for future research
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