Exercise At High-Altitude

By: Esmeralda Reyes

 Study Questions For Chapter 13

1 . D e s c r i b e t h e c o n d i t i o n s a t a l t i t u d e t h a t c o u l d l i m i t t h e a b i l i t y t o p e r fo r m p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y.
2 . W h a t t y p e s o f e x e r c i s e a r e d e t r i m e n t a l l y i n fl u e n c e d b y e x p o s u r e t o h i g h a l t i t u d e a n d w h y ?
3. When someone ascends to an altitude of over 1,500 m, describe the physiological
a d j u s t m e n t s t h a t o c c u r w i t h i n t h e fi r s t 2 4 h .
4 . D i ff e r e n t i a t e t h e p h y s i o l o g i c a l a d j u s t m e n t s t h a t a c c o m p a n y a c c l i m a t i o n t o a l t i t u d e o v e r a
period of days, weeks, and months.
5 . Wo u l d a n e n d u ra n c e a t h l e t e w h o t r a i n e d a t a l t i t u d e b e a b l e t o p e r f o r m b e t t e r d u r i n g
subsequent sea-level performance? Why or why not?
6 . D e s c r i b e t h e t h e o r e t i c a l a d va n t a g e o f l i v i n g h i g h a n d t r a i n i n g l o w.
7 . W h a t a r e t h e b e s t s t ra t e g i e s f o r p r e p a r i n g a t h l e t e s f o r h i g h - a l t i t u d e c o m p e t i t i o n ?
8. What are the health risks associated with acute exposure to high altitude and how can
they be minimized?
1) What are conditions at altitude that could
limit the ability to perform physical activity

-Atmospheric Pressure

Air has weight

At sea-level you have greater weight at 760mmHg and at Mount Everest you have a
decrease pressure of 250mmHg

As the altitude increases the barometric pressure decrease, partial pressure, and
temperature

- A i r Te m p e r a t u r e s a n d H u m i d i t y a t A l t i t u d e

L o w t e m p , l o w w a t e r va p o r p r e s s u r e , a n d h i g h w i n d s c a n p o s e s a s e r i o u s r i s k o f c o l d -
related disorders, such as hypothermia and windchill injuries

-Solar Radiation

There are two reasons solar radiation increases at high altitude

1)A t H i g h a l t i t u d e s l i g h t t r a v e l s t h o u g h l e s s o f t h e a t m o s p h e r e b e f o r e r e a c h i n g t h e e a r t h

2) Wa t e r n o r m a l l y a b s o r b s a s u b s t a n t i a l a m o u n t o f t h e s u n’s r a d i a t i o n
2) Types of exercise that cause
infl uential harm and why?

-Endurance performance

Oxidative energy production is limited

-Hiking up a mountain

Maximal oxygen decreases porpor tionally to atmospheric pressure

At 1500m it declines

-Anaerobic Sprint

Harm occurs af ter two minutes of continues sprinting

3) When someone ascends to an altitude of
over 1500m, describe the physiological
adjustments that occur within the fi rst 24
hours

 Respirator y and Oxygen  Cardiovascular

transpor t  Decreased plasma volume

 Increased heart rate

 I m m e d i a t e i n c r e a s e i n v e n t i l a ti o n
 Decrease stroke volume
 E x c h a n g e o f g a s e s n o t l i m i te d
 Increased cardiac output
 PO2 decreases
 Increased blood pressure

 Metabolic  Renal
 I n c r e a s e b a s a l m e t a b o l i c ra te  Diuresis

 D e c r e a s e s O 2 d i ff e r e n c e  E x c r e t i o n o f b i c a r b o n a te i o n s

 Increased release of
er ythropoietin
 4) Diff erentiate the physiological adjustments that
accompany acclimation to altitude over a period of
days, weeks, and months.

• Cardiovascular Adaptations • Muscle Adaptations

• To t a l m u s c l e m a s s d e c r e a s e a f t e r f e w w e e k s
• Re d u c ti o n o f V O 2 m a x a t fi r s t
• To t a l b o d y w e i g h t d e c r e a s e
• A e r o b i c c a p a c i t y u n c h a n g e d a f te r 2 m o n t h s
• P r o t e i n b r e a k d ow n o c c u r i n m u s c l e s

• Pu l m o n a r y Ad ap t a t i o n s
• Blood Adaptations
• Within 3 or 4 days the increased
v e n t i l a t i o n r a t e l e v e l s o ff a t 4 0 % • First 3 hours, increase in EPO (er ythropoietin)
higher than at sea level and for
submaximal exercise it increases 50% • W i t h i n 2 o r 3 d ay s E P O c o n t i n u e t o i n c r e a s e
higher
• 3 month or more EPO concentration goes back to baseline
5) Would an endurance athlete who trained at altitude
be able to perform better during subsequent sea-level
performance? Why or Why not?

Ad va n t a g e s

 Red u c e ox y g en s up p ly

 I n c r e a s e in r e d b lood c e ll m a s s = h em og l o b i n i m p r ove s ox yg e n de l i v er y w he n
r etu r n in g to s e a le v el

D i s a d va n t a g e s

 U n a ble to trai n a t th e s a m e vo lum e

 D e c r ea s e in te n s ity c om p a r e d to a t s ea l ev e l

 D e hyd ra tion

 L os e b lood vo lu m e a nd m us c le m a s s
6) Describe the theoretical advantage of living high
and training low?

• Intensity of training is reduced because aerobic capacity and

cardiorespiratory function but with limited time in altitude it
does not compromise intensity

• Increase sea-level VO2 max

• Red blood cell mass and EPO concentration increase but will
return to baseline with time
7) What are the best strategies for preparing athletes
for high-altitude competition?

• Option one: athlete must perform at altitude as early af ter

arrival as possible. This is withing the fi rst 24 hours, want to
do so before side eff ects occur

• Option two: athlete must perform at altitude and train

between 1500m-3000m for minimum of 2 weeks
8) What are the health risks associated with acute
exposure to high altitude and how can they be
minimized?

-Acute Altitude (Mountain) Sickness

• A s c e n d i n g t o a l t i t u d e g ra d u a l l y m i n i m i z e s t h e s y m p t o m s

• Drugs: Acetazolamide and Steroid

-High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema

• Tr e a t e d b y s u p p l e m e n t a l ox y g e n a n d l ow e r i n g a l t i t u d e

-High-Altitude Cerebral Edema

• Treatment to minimize is done by administrating supplemental
oxygen, use hyperbaric bag, descent to lower altitude
 “Pulmonary artery pressure limits
exercise capacity at high altitude”

H y pot hes is : C om par e hi g h-a lti tu de an d sea - le vel a ff ec ts in t he a r t er ies .

Pl ac ebo g roup a nd si ta xas en ta n g roup.

M et hods : 3 0 su bje cts ; 1 5 m al es a nd fe m al es

Res ul ts / Con cl usi on: Th e i m pl ic at ions t ha t we re de te ct ed is th at s ita xse nt an

c a use a de c rea se i n m axi m um RE R i n h ig h a l tit ude u nexp ect ed . The re is n o
e xpla na ti on t o t his ; howev er, th ey do k n ow th at it i m proved a cu te m oun ta in
s ic k ne ss sore . The im p rovem e nt m ay c om e f rom ce reb ral h ae m od y na m ic s a nd
oxyg en at ion th at i s ass oci at ed t o th e c y to prote ct ive e ff e c ts th at oc cur s in
hy poxi c as tr ocy t es .
 “Cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation during
whole-body exercise over 5 days at high altitude”

Hy pothesis: At day on e of exposu re to h igh altitu de it will in du ce deoxygen ation of

the prefrontal an d motor cor tices. Also compare aff ects of sea-level an d h igh -
altitude exercise

Methods: 11 men par ticipan ts, age 20- 30

Results /Conclusion: Th e overall fi n din gs of th e stu dy sh ow th at h aving exposu re to

high-altitude f or on e day an d fi ve days h ave alike impairmen t to th e par ticipan ts
when endurance per f orman ces were evalu ated. Th ose fi n din gs were compared to sea
level numbers. Th e level of ox ygen ation th at fl owed th rough ou t th e pref ron tal and
motor cor tices decreased in acu te hypox ia. T he last fi n din g was th at th e blood
volume increases as exten sive exercise was per f ormed th rou ghou t th e prefrontal
cor tex and not the motor cor tex. Improvemen t of oxygen an d exercise per f ormance
was not improved at any poin t.
 “ The Role of haemoglobin mass on VO2max following
normobic ‘live high-train low’ in endurance-trained
athletes”

Hy p ot he si s: n or m bic ‘l ive hi g h- t rai n low ’ i m prove VO2 m ax i n an en du ran ce –

tra ine d a th le te

Me th od s: 1 5 m a les a n d 1 f em a le, 13 t rai ne d c yc lis ts a nd 3 tr ia th et es, ag e s 23 -

35 , Train in g p er form e d at 3 00 0m of al ti tud e

Re su lts /Co ncl us ion: Overall , VO2 m a x did n ot i nc re ase i n res pon se to L H TL i n th e
cu rre nt s tud y. F ur th erm or e, d esp ite t he fa c t th at L H TL in cr ea se d e r y thr ocy t e
vo lum e i n s om e p ar ti ci pa nt s, t hi s d id not re sul t in an i nc re as e in VO2 m ax.
Fin al ly, t he ben efi c ia l e ff ec ts of L HTL on O2 t ra nsp or t ap pea r to b e ne g lig ibl e in
eli te c ycl is ts who a lr ea dy have v er y h ig h a er ob ic c apa c it ie s c onf er red by hi g h
Hbm a ss a nd VO2 m ax.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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QT 260]