The Differences Of Initial Responses Between Short-term Simulated And Real Altitude Training

Abstract

Altitude training is the popular conditioning methods for athletes for enhancing athletic performance, especially for endurance events. However, the hypoxic environment is neither suitable nor having positive response for every athlete. Although the gene research has found the responder and non-responder about altitude accommodation, it's not a practical training modality for coaches and athletes in field training. Thus, how to distinguish or pre-screen who is not suitable for real altitude training is the crucial point. PURPOSE: To investigate the differences of initial responses between short-term simulated and real altitude training. METHODS: Ten elite male distance runners (age: 19.92 ± 1.50 yrs, height: 168.92±6.71cm, weight: 57.75 ± 5.56kg) were recruited for this study. The average 12-mins run was 3646.3 ± 74.59m. All subjects had participated both 3-week simulated hypoxic Training (SAT, O2 concentration: 16.7%, equal to 1900m in altitude) and 3-week real altitude training (RAT, china altitude training base, 1906m in altitude). Two training modalities were separated by 3 weeks. The erythrocytes(RBC), hemoglobin(Hb), mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH), oxyhemoglobin saturation(SPO2) and 12-min run were measured in the filed before training, during training and 3 weeks after detraining. during SAT and RAT. The one way ANOVA was statistical method for data processing. RESULTS: RBC was insignificant different after SAT& RAT. (4968571 ± 316724, 4827143 ± 204672 U/ul; p>.05); however, Hb was improved significantly only after RAT(pre: 13.5 ± 1.0 post SAT: 13.8 ± 0.5 post RAT: 14.9 ± 0.6 g/dL respectively, P < 0.05). The MCH was improved significantly after SAT but not after RAT(pre: 31.0 ± 1.1, post SAT: 27.8 ± 1.0, post RAT: 30.9 ± 1.2pg respectively, P < 0.05). In field test, 12-min run was significant improved after RAT(F-value:8.944,P < 0.05), though heart rate and SPO2 were similar both after after SAT& RAT, SPO2 tended to improve and heart rate was getting lower. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrated that simulated hypoxic training can elicit similar responses as real altitude training, but without the mountain sickness which occurred in altitude environment. We suggest that simulated altitude training could be used to pre-screen athletes and accommodation before real altitude training.