High altitude training: myth or misunderstanding? by Chuck
Arabas Rate this article: (Number of ratings: 3) High altitude
training for athletic performance first gained popularity just
prior to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Little information
was available concerning adaptations, limitations and
appropriate protocols for balancing stress and recovery cycles
for training. Since that time, scientists and coaches have
studied many variables associated with high altitude training.
However, answers to the fundamental questions are still elusive.
Controversy continues to swell over the issue of transference
from altitude to sea level performance. The evidence on either
side of the argument leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, it
is imperative that the coaching community understand the basic
physiological adaptations that are known to occur at altitude,
as well as the strengths and weaknesses of research that has
attempted to answer questions of performance enhancements. The
most common confusion about high a