The No-Nonsense Plan to Prep for Any Race at High Altitude
Don’t get us wrong. Lifting weights and building muscle improve just about every marker of health you can think of, from bone density to injury resilience to overall work capacity. But gym fitness doesn’t always translate cleanly to the mountains. Altitude is a different stress altogether, and it doesn’t care how strong your squat is. You can be well-trained, disciplined, and strong, and still find yourself struggling if your body isn’t prepared for thin air. That's where high altitude training can help.
So go ahead and register for that race in Vail or RSVP “yes” for your buddy’s 40th birthday lap around Mont Blanc, but before you do just be sure to prep your body for the lack of oxygen, advises elite cycling coach and sport scientist Neal Henderson, who works with amateurs and pros alike at his performance center in Boulder, CO. Fortunately, the process of high elevation training doesn’t have to mean depleting your limited PTO or blowing money on a hypoxic bed chamber (less sexy than it sounds). Below, he breaks down the step-by-step guide to prepping for adventures high above sea level.
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A Practical Guide to High Altitude Training
12 Weeks Before: Review Your Strength Training Regimen
News flash: Most efforts at altitude will cover somewhat (or extremely) mountainous terrain. Make sure squats, deadlifts, leg presses, and stepups—all exercises that help to strengthen legs for uphills and downhills, Henderson says—are part of your exercise routine.
8 Weeks Before: Add Hills
Uphill efforts—whether outside or mimicked indoors on a treadmill or stationary bike— boost both your fitness and the specific muscle recruitment necessary in non-flat, high-altitude environments. Runners: Don’t forget downhill training since the descent places significant stress on muscles like the quadriceps.
6 Weeks Before: Increase Intensity and Reduce Recovery
Simulate the higher respiratory stress your body will feel at elevation by starting your workout at a higher intensity. For example, after a proper warmup, do high-intensity VO2 max and anaerobic-capacity intervals.
3 Weeks Before: Heat Train
The decreased oxygen at altitude puts extra stress on your body. So does heat. Wearing an extra jacket or cranking up the thermostat in your home gym will create a physiologic stress response that boosts adaptation to high altitude (even when you aren’t there yet). For passive heat exposure, spend 10 minutes in a sauna or hot bath post-workout.
Week Before: Hydrate
The air is drier at higher elevations. That means you need to drink more water. Start lapping up around 100 ounces per day of that high-quality H2O.
Night Before: Sleep at a Moderate Elevation (Between 4,000 and 8,000 Feet)
Spending a day (or two) at 5,000 feet won’t noticeably enhance your performance (that takes upwards of three weeks), but it will significantly decrease your likelihood of developing acute mountain sickness, a potentially deadly response to altitude exposure.
During the Race: Start, Sip, and Refuel
The moment is here; now stay in tune with your body. Up your water intake to at least 32 ounces per hour, and (because the body burns a higher ratio of carbs to fat at altitude), suck down extra high-carbohydrate fuels like gels, energy bars, or sports drinks.
After: Recover (Longer)
“Recovery times are slower at higher elevations,” Henderson warns. Get a little extra sleep and take an extra rest day.
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