Position statement—altitude training for improving team-sport players’ performance: current knowledge and unresolved issues

Abstract

Despite the limited research on the effects of altitude (or hypoxic) training interventions on team-sport performance, players from all around the world engaged in these sports are now using altitude training more than ever before. In March 2013, an Altitude Training and Team Sports conference was held in Doha, Qatar, to establish a forum of research and practical insights into this rapidly growing field. A round-table meeting in which the panellists engaged in focused discussions concluded this conference. This has resulted in the present position statement, designed to highlight some key issues raised during the debates and to integrate the ideas into a shared conceptual framework. The present signposting document has been developed for use by support teams (coaches, performance scientists, physicians, strength and conditioning staff) and other professionals who have an interest in the practical application of altitude training for team sports. After more than four decades of research, there is still no consensus on the optimal strategies to elicit the best results from altitude training in a team-sport population. However, there are some recommended strategies discussed in this position statement to adopt for improving the acclimatisation process when training/competing at altitude and for potentially enhancing sea-level performance. It is our hope that this information will be intriguing, balanced and, more importantly, stimulating to the point that it promotes constructive discussion and serves as a guide for future research aimed at advancing the bourgeoning body of knowledge in the area of altitude training for team sports.

Running mechanical alterations during repeated treadmill sprints in hotversushypoxic environments. A pilot study

“…Despite this, there is a possibility (yet unknown) that other specific phases of the sprint (e.g., early acceleration, deceleration phases) would be more sensitive to heat stress or hypoxia, but this needs to be further investigated. Specific strategies, including heat acclimation protocols, mixed methods of cooling and/or maintenance of hydration status, have proven to be efficient at mitigating heat-related decrements in repeated-sprint performance , while tolerance for exercise of this nature is also improved with altitude training/acclimatisation (Girard et al, 2013). How this potential environmentally mediated improvement in repeated-sprint ability would also lead to biomechanical adaptations still needs to be thoroughly documented.…”

Do male athletes with already high initial haemoglobin mass benefit from ‘live high–train low’ altitude training?

“…Compared with endurance athletes, team‐sport athletes are generally characterized by a lower maximal aerobic capacity (Girard et al . ) and possess lower relative haemoglobin mass (Hb mass ; Heinicke et al . ; Wachsmuth et al .…”

“…During the last decade, hypoxic/altitude training interventions have become increasingly popular in team sports, and innovative methods fitting their physical requirements (combination of aerobic and anaerobic adaptations) have been introduced (McLean et al 2014;Brocherie et al 2017). Compared with endurance athletes, team-sport athletes are generally characterized by a lower maximal aerobic capacity (Girard et al 2013) and possess lower relative haemoglobin mass (Hb mass ; Heinicke et al 2001;Wachsmuth et al 2013a). The potential main benefit derived from the popular 'live high-train low' (LHTL) altitude training intervention seems to rely on an increase in Hb mass (Levine & Stray-Gundersen, 2005;Gore et al 2013;Wehrlin et al 2016).…”

Toward a Common Understanding of Diet–Exercise Strategies to Manipulate Fuel Availability for Training and Competition Preparation in Endurance Sport

“…For example, the term "train low" has been used to describe a single acute training session in which the availability of muscle CHO and/ or exogenous CHO has been manipulated to "lower" levels before and/or during the session by a variety of techniques that have different metabolic and cellular consequences (for reviews, see Bartlett et al, 2015;Hawley et al, 2018;Impey et al, 2018). However, the term has also been used to describe a chronic training period in which such strategies were undertaken in differing combinations over many days to weeks (Hansen et al, 2005;Yeo et al, 2008); furthermore, to many sports scientists and coaches, "train low" is more likely to be aligned with altitude/hypoxia exposure protocols (Girard et al, 2013).…”