Altitude training and its effects on the human body

Abstract

The effect of altitude on the human body, especially in relation to training, is gaining more popularity than ever. The many physiological effects of altitude on the body are being investigated much more thoroughly than previous research, especially in athletes who train and compete at altitude (7.8,11,13,14,21,22,31). Along with the physiological changes that are happening in the body in response to altitude, there have also been a lot of studies done on different types of altitude training (8,13,14,23). Altitude training has become popular in the last few decades, and it does not seem to be losing any momentum. Various programs have been developed to determine the most effective altitude training for athletes (7,13,15). However, if altitude training is not done effectively, it may cause unwanted complications such as acute mountain sickness. For example, acute mountain sickness is when the body does not react to altitude in a favorable way (26). If not treated quickly, acute mountain sickness can turn from acute to severe in a matter of a few hours. In this paper, the body's response to altitude will be addressed, along with various training programs and altitude related illnesses that may arise.