The Advantages of a High Altitude

High altitudes are things that people tend to avoid. The dangers to the human body from high altitudes are well-documented, including a loss of both physical and mental capacity. However, training at high altitude has several advantages over training in lower altitudes. High-altitude training can result in superior physical performance for people such as athletes, mountaineers, and soldiers.

  1. Athletes

    • Some research has shown that an athlete who trains at a high altitude may gain a performance increase when competing in events at sea level. When working out at a high altitude, the athlete's body is forced to acclimatize to the lower oxygen content in the air, in theory causing the oxygen that is found in that air to be used more efficiently by the lungs. This in turn leads to more oxygen being delivered to the muscles.

    Mountaineers

    • Mountaineers are people who climb mountains. As such, they are regularly exposed to high altitudes. Mountaineers who allow their bodies to acclimatize to these higher altitudes have a much greater chance of avoiding "Altitude Sickness," an illness that varies in severity from headaches, nausea, and trouble breathing to death. Much like with other athletes, the advantage of acclimatizing to higher altitudes is increased performance at their chosen sport.

    Soldiers

    • United States Army research has shown that soldiers may also derive benefits from high altitude training. In an altitude acclimatization guide commissioned by the U.S. army, the authors note that soldiers who train at high altitudes are less likely to succumb to altitude sickness and are more likely to retain their normal mental and physical capabilities. The study finds that soldiers who are trained to acclimatize to the higher altitudes see an improvement in physical performance.