At 2,228 metres above sea level, Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains is Australia’s tallest peak. Although it offers good skiing and snowboarding during the winter months, what this peak doesn’t really offer is altitude training opportunities.
As such, those interested in this inventive and trendy approach to training might have to turn their attention to altitude masks and chambers. To learn more about altitude training, we spoke to Onfit Training College E-Tutor Rob Gardener about its benefits to both professional athletes and the general public.
What is altitude training?
Altitude training doesn’t have to take place on a mountain top.Altitude training refers to an athlete spending time exercising at either a certain altitude or in a similar simulated environment – commonly between 2,500 and 3,500 metres above sea level.
“Altitude training is where someone puts their body under stress in a low-oxygen environment, generally in the case of reducing the oxygen content in the air that they can breathe. This causes the body to adapt and respond in many different ways,” Rob explained.
“Training at altitude is a lot harder than regular training methods. It puts a lot more demand on the body and as a result, the intensity of the training doesn’t have to be as high to get the same results.”
Benefits of altitude training
Although most people consider altitude training to be for professional athletes looking to improve their endurance and performance, it can have benefits for the general public as well. Rob explained that altitude training can be advantageous for those with certain medical conditions including obesity and diabetes and those looking for beauty enhancement.
Altitude training puts stress on the body to lift endurance and performance.“Generally, the main benefits that you are looking at when completing altitude training are increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity, blood cell count, recovery and metabolism rates,” he said.
“It also stimulates lipolysis which is fat burning to help people with weight loss. In relation to the hormone leptin, which tells the body it’s full, altitude training increases this hormone.”
Altitude Training Course
Onfit Training College has recently added an Altitude Training Course to its suite of offerings. Whether you want to learn how altitude training works to add to your own existing business, become an Altitude Training Specialist or explore this topic in more depth, this online course can support your requirements.
Analysing altitude training from a scientific and biological standpoint, the Onfit team can provide all the core information required to make a difference in your career.
“This course goes into a lot of depth, talking about the science and mechanisms of altitude training for everyone from sports people to different population groups,” Rob said.
If you would like more information about the Altitude Training Course, feel free to reach out to our team today – we look forward to speaking with you.
