Are you aware of the characteristics of high altitude training? Do you know what its benefits are? Interested in using this method to improve your fitness level, but you don’t know where to start? Our goal is to encourage exercise and help make it as effective as possible. So, in this article, we’re going to give you interesting and useful information to answer these questions along with others.
What does high altitude training do?
High altitude training is all the rage and is gaining an increasing number of followers in the sports world due to the benefits of training in high altitude conditions. It primarily involves training where oxygen levels are lower so that, once we’re back at a normal altitude level, performance will have significantly improved.
“Maximal oxygen consumption capacity is linked to performance”.
However, you should never train like this on your own. In fact, there are risks to the cardiovascular and nervous system, so many experts only recommend it for professional or elite athletes.
Training at an altitude of over 1,200 meters can lead to a significant advantage in endurance sports, as maximal oxygen consumption capacity is linked to performance. So, if we raise the hematological values, oxygen transport will improve and, as a result, the maximum oxygen consumption level.
The secret to this method of training is therefore based on increasing the body’s resistance by getting it used to a low-oxygen environment so that the body reacts and produces more red blood cells.
What are the benefits of high altitude training?
Firstly, it has short or medium term benefits, because the body adapts to these circumstances in roughly one week. For this reason, athletes do high altitude training right before setting off for a sporting event. There is no point in exercising at altitude and then taking a month off before competing.
By training at high altitude, an additional overload will be applied to improve physical capacity on the flat and at low altitude alike (1,000 meters above sea level max). So, you’ll also be ready to give it your best shot in altitude competitions. That’s why elite athletes are raving about it.
Among the most outstanding benefits of high altitude training are:
- The incorporation of new and varied exercise stimuli.
- The maximum use of time, since even when you are at rest you’ll still be training.
- Muscle capillarization and muscle enzymatic machinery are improved.
- Greater intensity will be achieved in any type of short duration event.
- Improved performance in favorable environmental conditions.
How can we train for these sports?
Generally, it consists of carrying out the physical activity at an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,500 meters for at least one week, so that the effects turn into results, and a maximum of three weeks, so that we can be sure to get into the shape of our life.
We must also take into account that altitude leads to increased blood pressure and heart rate. As a result, if we do intense sessions, they must be short, as the body will not adapt in the same way as if they were being performed at sea level.
Better results with electrostimulation training
This system means improving results in less time and more efficiently, regardless of whether we’re playing field hockey, basketball, trail or running. Thanks to electrical impulses, the muscles in certain localized areas will receive small shocks causing them to contract, simulating the signals that would be sent by the brain.
As well as helping to generate an increase in blood flow that will distribute more nutrients to these muscles, electrostimulation is also perfect as a relaxer, for example, to apply on days when you’ve over-trained and have pain in specific parts of the body.
On the other hand, it works muscles that we don’t normally use because of the type of sport we do, getting rid of flaccidity in the arms while boosting strength. However, the benefits associated with this method don’t stop there: they help you to weight loss, increase flexibility and elasticity as well as reduce anxiety and stress levels among many others. A perfect sports supplement to boost your fitness and performance level.
We make it very easy for you and, as industry experts, we provide you with different types of EMS Suits so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. All you have to do is put it on and take your high-altitude training to a whole new level. These garments, as well as having state-of-the-art technology, are guaranteed to be of the highest quality. In fact, many scientific institutions endorse the safety of our system.
Mountain trail
Mountain running is one of the best sports you can do to take advantage of the benefits of altitude training. There are many approved mountain trail routes for you to choose at whatever altitude you are after. From the most demanding high mountain ones where the summit will be reached along the way, to those considered medium or low mountain ones. In any case, the results are tremendously satisfying, not to mention the fresh air and being in contact with nature.
You’ll be combining altitude and running, so you have the perfect conditions to benefit from this training while boosting your performance. If you also choose to incorporate an electrostimulation suit into your exercise routine, your muscles will thank you for it as you will see how you gain strength, power and overall fitness.
Climbing wall
Another way to train at altitude is to go to a climbing wall. Here, you can take part in different activities, such as climbing, where you will have all kinds of material and professional help to exercise several meters above the ground. When you arrive at the venue, we advise telling the experts what your goal is so they can come up with an appropriate and bespoke training program for you. This is very important for you to achieve the sports goals you’ve set yourself.
We encourage you to seek out information about the different climbing walls near your, as some of them have everything you could need, even different ways of climbing, such as rock or ice, to work different parts of the body.
Where can you do high altitude training?
Having looked at some ways of acclimatizing to this type of training, it’s a good idea to know where to do it in order to get the best results. If you’re a professional athlete or you’re aiming to become one, you need a facility with the best possible training conditions. Do you know any high performance centers? You’ve surely heard of them. We’ll give you the rundown.
High performance centers
These centers have earned their reputation due to their excellent results. They specialize in altitude work and provide an extremely demanding training environment. They are generally located below 2,000 meters, however, for example, the one in Spain, and more specifically in Sierra Nevada, is at an altitude of 2,320 meters. This has made it a worldwide benchmark center.
These are professional facilities where high-level athletes, individuals and teams, prepare for any competition they may have coming up in the near future. For this reason, almost all elite athletes train in centers such as these, since their training calls for highly specialized facilities and, in addition, they can count on the support of a multidisciplinary medical team (from nutritionists to physiotherapists or psychologists) that monitors body’s response to the different training sessions around the clock.
These facilities have athletic tracks, soccer fields and a host of sports facilities located at high altitude to maximize the training results. Undoubtedly, an excellent way to get everything you need for quality conditioning sessions. An environment that will help produce optimal muscle stimulation that you would be virtually impossible in any other way.
Conclusions
To sum up, high altitude training is a technique that is commonly used in high-level sports to boost athletic performance. As seen, there are different facilities and innovative systems available, such as electrostimulation to boost your results.
Nevertheless, we remind you once again of the importance of having experts on hand if you are looking to try out this type of training, so you don’t put your health at risk. We encourage you to visit our website to learn more about the advantages of our suits. If you’re interested in topics as interesting as this, subscribe to our blog to keep up to date with all our latest news. Sport is health!
