Team Injinji Athlete Jeff Browning is back with another episode of “Head to Toe with Coach Jeff!” Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, Jeff trains at high altitude – Flagstaff is about 7,000 feet above sea level.
In this episode, Jeff shares his tips for maximizing performance when training at higher elevations. From the physiological benefits of altitude training to practical strategies to help your body adjust, this video is helpful to all runners – whether seasoned professionals or those new to the sport.
Hey, Jeff Browning here with some coaching tips on altitude training. I'm here in beautiful flagstaff, in my backyard training for High Lonesome 100 in Colorado, a high-altitude race.
Here are some of my tips on altitude training.
What are the differences between running at lower altitudes and higher altitudes?
Number one, your body's going to struggle at higher elevations because there's less oxygen in the air. Also, blood passes through your lungs without carrying much oxygen, decreasing your VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. So, here's an example. There was one study done on endurance athletes where they took them to altitude and found that for every thousand feet of elevation increase, starting at a thousand feet above sea level, their VO2 max is dropped by almost 2%.
That's pretty significant if you're going up 5,000-6,000 or even 10,000 feet like you would if you're coming from sea level to a high-altitude race in Colorado, say something like Leadville, where you'd be going up 10,000 feet.
What are the benefits of training at altitude?
Number one, you're going to increase the production of red blood cells through the production of erythropoietin. What's that? It's EPO. It's a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Also, those red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen from your lungs to your muscles and an increase in their production can enhance your ability to utilize oxygen.
You're also going to increase your concentration of capillaries. Capillaries are your blood vessels that are the smallest ones in the body and are responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. An increased concentration of capillaries allows you to better deliver oxygen to your muscles during exercise, which will increase your endurance capacity.
Now how can you properly adjust when going to altitude?
Number one, adjust your expectations, both on pace and output. Remember that 2% decrease V02 max for every 1,000 feet. So extra rest and recovery is advised during these first few days at altitude as your body initially adjusts. Another adaptation strategy that you could do before you go to altitude is heat training. Heat training ideally is in a dry sauna but 20-to-30-minute sessions in a sauna, seven to ten sessions, say the last two weeks before you go to altitude. Some of the adaptation benefits you get from a sauna work is the increase in blood plasma volume and reduced cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain. At a cellular level, heat exposure increases heat shock protein, which is a protective mechanism. So, these heat shock proteins influence the activity of hypoxia inducible factor, which triggers the formation of new red blood cells in capillary networks. And this is going to carry extra oxygen throughout the body. So, heat is not an exact mechanism,
but it's similar to altitude training. So, it can be a good precursor when you're going to altitude to train.
Another good strategy to get you ready to go to altitude in training would be higher intensity interval sessions, long interval sessions at sub-threshold to threshold pace, and increasing your oxygen carrying capacity through quality training can also be beneficial when you have to go to altitude.
I hope those tips help you out and get you ready for your next altitude race. Giddy up!
