Athletes at altitude

Pugh, L. G. C. E.

doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008321

Cited by 55 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The times in the 5000 m and 10,000 m events were respectively 6 1 and 6-5 % slower than sea level world records (Table 3). A similar result was reported by Pugh (1967) on a party of British athletes in Mexico City in 1965. The British athletes ran 5-8 % more slowly in 3-mile trials at altitude than in control races in England, while the reduction of 0o, max in ergometer exercise was 7x9 % in the four best adapters.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Oxygen intake in track and treadmill running with observations on the effect of air resistance

Pugh¹

1970

The Journal of Physiology

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225

139

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SUMMARY1. The relation of r02 and speed was measured on seven athletes running on a cinder track and an all-weather track. The results were compared with similar observations on four athletes running on a treadmill.2. In treadmill running the relation was linear and the zero intercept coincided with resting fo.3. In track running the relation was curvilinear, but was adequately represented by a linear regression over a range of speeds extending from 8&0 km/hr (2.2 m/sec) to 21b5 km/hr (6.0 m/sec). The slope of this line was substantially steeper than the regression line slope for treadmill running.4. The influence of air resistance in running was estimated from measurements of 'o2 on a subject running on a treadmill at constant speed against wind of varying velocity. 5. The extra 02 intake (A 172) associated with wind increased as the square of wind velocity. If wind velocity and running velocity are equal, as in running on a track in calm air, 'Â o2 will increase as the cube of velocity.6. It was estimated that the energy cost of overcoming air resistance in track running is about 8 % of total energy cost at 21 5 km/hr (5000 m races) and 16 % for sprinting 100 m in 10*0 sec.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Oxygen intake in track and treadmill running with observations on the effect of air resistance

Pugh¹

1970

The Journal of Physiology

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225

139

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“…Winter sports, as well as disciplines from other sports, regularly hold competitions at altitudes ϳ2,500 m. Even the mild hypoxia associated with such altitudes impairs VO 2 max by reducing CaO 2 (22,43), and this appears to be pronounced in highly trained individuals (30,31). Athletes may attenuate this undesirable effect by means that stimulate erythropoiesis and thus normalize arterial blood O 2 content.…”

Section: Effect Of Lhtl On Vo 2 Max In Hypoxiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some endurance disciplines, such as cross-country skiing, frequently perform competitions at moderate altitudes. However, even the mild hypoxia associated with these altitudes may decrease maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) by reducing arterial O 2 content (CaO 2 ) (22,43), and this mechanism seems to be particularly pronounced in highly trained athletes (30,31). It appears plausible that this detrimental effect of moderate altitude could be counterbalanced by measures that enhance CaO 2 .…”

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confidence: 99%

“Live high–train low” using normobaric hypoxia: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study

Siebenmann

Robach²,

Jacobs

et al. 2012

Journal of Applied Physiology

136

110

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Siebenmann C, Robach P, Jacobs RA, Rasmussen P, Nordsborg N, Diaz V, Christ A, Olsen NV, Maggiorini M, Lundby C. "Live high-train low" using normobaric hypoxia: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. J Appl Physiol 112: 106 -117, 2012. First published October 27, 2011 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00388.2011The combination of living at altitude and training near sea level [live high-train low (LHTL)] may improve performance of endurance athletes. However, to date, no study can rule out a potential placebo effect as at least part of the explanation, especially for performance measures. With the use of a placebo-controlled, double-blinded design, we tested the hypothesis that LHTL-related improvements in endurance performance are mediated through physiological mechanisms and not through a placebo effect. Sixteen endurance cyclists trained for 8 wk at low altitude (Ͻ1,200 m). After a 2-wk lead-in period, athletes spent 16 h/day for the following 4 wk in rooms flushed with either normal air (placebo group, n ϭ 6) or normobaric hypoxia, corresponding to an altitude of 3,000 m (LHTL group, n ϭ 10). Physiological investigations were performed twice during the lead-in period, after 3 and 4 wk during the LHTL intervention, and again, 1 and 2 wk after the LHTL intervention. Questionnaires revealed that subjects were unaware of group classification. Weekly training effort was similar between groups. Hb mass, maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2) in normoxia, and at a simulated altitude of 2,500 m and mean power output in a simulated, 26.15-km time trial remained unchanged in both groups throughout the study. Exercise economy (i.e., VO 2 measured at 200 W) did not change during the LHTL intervention and was never significantly different between groups. In conclusion, 4 wk of LHTL, using 16 h/day of normobaric hypoxia, did not improve endurance performance or any of the measured, associated physiological variables.altitude; LHTL; performance; training OVER THE PAST FIVE DECADES, endurance athletes have attempted to improve sea-level performance by means of altitude training. In the early 1990s, Levine and Stray-Gundersen (36) introduced the "live high-train low" (LHTL) strategy, where athletes reside and spend the majority of the day at moderate altitude while training closer to sea level. This paradigm aims for athletes to benefit from physiological adaptation to hypoxia, while avoiding the detrimental impact of hypoxia on high-intensity endurance training. After an initial study had provided results indicating that LHTL enhances aerobic performance in competitive runners (34), a bulk of follow-up studies confirmed these benefits across a variety of endurance disciplines (7,50,57,59). None of them, however, used a double-blinded design, and thus it cannot be ruled out that the observed effects, especially on performance measures, were, at least in part, mediated by a placebo effect (11, 56). Our main aim with this study was therefore to investigate the effect of LHTL in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.A further aim was t...

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“…Although equivocal, human studies have demonstrated that either hypobaric or normobaric hypoxia per se is responsible for increases in blood haemoglobin (Hb) concentration (Berglund 1992), muscle mitochondrial volume, capillary supply (Desplanches et al 1993), aerobic enzyme activities and myoglobin concentration (Terrados et al 1990), 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (Mairbaurl et al 1986), rate of free fatty acid mobilisation (Young et al 1982) or an elevated blood bu ering capacity (Favier et al 1995). Altitude acclimatisation improves physical performance at altitude (Pugh 1967;Maher et al 1974), but the e ects on sea-level performance are less clear. Since the 1950's, 64 out of 91 studies on the e ects of altitude training on sea-level endurance performance have been conducted without a performance-matched control group trained in normoxia, and of the 15 controlled investigations, only 4 have reported performance-enhancing bene®ts .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Implications of moderate altitude training for sea-level endurance in elite distance runners

Bailey

Davies

Romer

et al. 1998

European Journal of Applied Physiology

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Elite distance runners participated in one of two studies designed to investigate the e ects of moderate altitude training (inspiratory partial pressure of oxygen »115±125 mmHg) on submaximal, maximal and supramaximal exercise performance following return to sea-level. Study 1 (New Mexico, USA) involved 14 subjects who were assigned to a 4-week altitude training camp (1500±2000 m) whilst 9 performance-matched subjects continued with an identical training programme at sea-level (CON). Ten EXP subjects who trained at 1640 m and 19 CON subjects also participated in study 2 (Krugersdorp, South Africa). Selected metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters were determined with the subjects at rest and during exercise 21 days prior to (PRE) and 10 and 20 days following their return to sealevel (POST). Whole blood lactate decreased by 23% (P < 0.05 vs PRE) during submaximal exercise in the EXP group only after 20 days at sea-level (study 1). However, the lactate threshold and other measures of running economy remained unchanged. Similarly, supramaximal performance during a standardised track session did not change. Study 2 demonstrated that hypoxia per se did not alter performance. In contrast, in the EXP group supramaximal running velocity decreased by 2% (P < 0.05) after 20 days at sea-level.Both studies were characterised by a 50% increase in the frequency of upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections during the altitude sojourns, and two male subjects were diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis following their return to sea-level (study 1). Group mean plasma glutamine concentrations at rest decreased by 19% or 143 (74) lM (P < 0.001) after 3 weeks at altitude, which may have been implicated in the increased incidence of infectious illness.

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Athletes at altitude

Cited by 55 publications

References 29 publications

Oxygen intake in track and treadmill running with observations on the effect of air resistance

Oxygen intake in track and treadmill running with observations on the effect of air resistance

“Live high–train low” using normobaric hypoxia: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study

Implications of moderate altitude training for sea-level endurance in elite distance runners

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