by Perri Williams
It is January with temperatures here in Ireland plummeting below zero. The roads are icy, tracks are closed, and treadmills are getting plenty of usage. Scrolling through social media this year there is a plethora of posts from Iten, Falls Creek, Flagstaff, Potchefstroom, Dullstroom, Mexico and more. In a few more months, we will see more European destinations being added. The popularity of locations such as Portugal, Lanzarote and Tenerife have given way to altitude destinations. And it’s not just the elite that are going either.
The popularity of altitude training is rooted in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico and the ensuing progress of sports science, which shows benefits for athletes seeking that competitive edge. The ideal location for altitude training depends on your distance, when you are racing and the type of training you are doing. Early in your training cycle where racing is further away, you may want to go to higher altitudes where you can get the maximum aerobic benefits without affecting the quality of your sessions. As the racing season gets closer, you may want to drop down to a lower altitude in order to perform better quality training sessions.
Why Train at Altitude?
One of the main reasons is to improve the athlete’s aerobic capacity. This is achieved through the body being more effective in the transportation of oxygen, enabling the muscles to receive more energy thus increasing performance. Here is a bit of the science behind all of this:
Oxygen (inhaled from the air we breathe) is carried around the body within red blood cells and helps the molecules in muscles perform their functions. At higher altitudes, there is lower atmospheric pressure. Thus, your body finds it harder to transfer oxygen into the blood. The “thin” air is harder to breath and your body will tire more easily than you find at sea-level. Thus, the body needs to work harder. The higher you go, the harder it gets. At 3,000m an athletes body needs 25%-30% more energy than it did at sea-level. Our bodies have an innate ability to respond to changing situations. As the transportation of oxygen becomes more difficult, our brains trigger an increased production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO). With this increase more red blood cells are produced, and the efficiency of oxygen is improved.
Returning to sea level, the higher atmospheric pressure along with the increased number of red-blood cells means the oxygen in the athlete’s body is being transported a lot more efficiently than before they went to altitude, thereby increasing the athlete’s aerobic capacity. The affect (benefit) will remain for a period of time. This period of time varies from one athlete to another.
Approaches to Altitude Training
There are three fundamental approaches to altitude training;
- Train high and race high: Athletes who compete at high altitude often spend a considerable period of time living at the same altitude.
- Train high and race low: Train at higher levels and then come to sea-level for competitions.
- Live high and train low: Living at higher altitudes and coming down to lower altitudes for training sessions. (For example, staying at 2,400 or 2,500m and coming down to 1,200 for training sessions).
Then of course you could also use an altitude tent.
How long should you spend at altitude?
You should spend at least two weeks though a period of four weeks has proven to be more beneficial. That said, your body starts to produce more red blood cells as soon as you arrive at altitude. As red blood cells have a life-cycle of around 20 days, the altitude affect continues when you get back down to sea-level. It is recommended that you compete within this cycle.
Where should I go?
It is January and there are a number of options to consider;
Australia: If you are in Australia – head to Falls Creek. Sonia O’Sullivan used to frequent this venue. In fact, she is there now with some athletes. The altitude is 1,600m and offers an extensive network of flat and hilly trails and will find plenty of Australian elite athletes making good use of them.
Mexico City: At over 3,000m altitude Mexico City was a location where I have trained many times in the January and February period. The increasing smog may be a deterrant along with the long flight, especially when the fresh air of the South African highlands and the same time zone is now a more viable option than it was in the early 1990s. You can stay in the Olympic Centre close to one of the city’s biggest parks. These days it is not a popular location for Irish athletes.
Africa offers a number of venues, the East African highlands of Ethiopia and Kenya, to the South you have Potchefstroom and Dullstroom. Then of course you could venture into Morocco.
Iten, Kenya: Situation at 2,450m overlooking the Rift Valley, where many of the great Kenya’s live and train. The Irish athletes have also frequented the location through the decades. For the past few years around this time, Emmet Dunleavy and his endurance group have made Iten their altitude base. Right now, you will find the u23 Cross Country champion Niall Murphy and his Ennis Track clubmates training along the dirt tracks of this high Kenyan location. There are plenty of magnificent dirt trails where you may accost several Olympic and World medalists or record holders. At this hight, Iten offers a good opportunity for Irish based athletes to build their aerobic base before they start their sharpening work later in the season. There is also access to synthetic and dirt tracks.
Ethiopia: Sululta (c. 2700m) and Addis Ababa (c. 2355m), are locations. These are not really popular with Irish athletes at the moment. Iten is definitely a better and safer choice.
Dullstroom, South Africa: Situated at 2,100m in the African Highlands, Dullstroom offers an endless amount of hilly, running trails in the forests and on tarred or dirt roads. There are a number of grass tracks in the area such as the Belfast Academy or you can drive to AJ Swanepoel Athletics Stadium at Ermelo for a synthetic track. There are some Irish athletes there at the moment including Darragh McIlhenny. At this level, there are lots of opportunities to build an athlete’s aerobic base and you can drop down to lower levels for harder sessions. Dullstroom is three hours from Johannesburg. It is summer there right now and the climate is similar to an Irish or Scottish summer. As South Africa is on the same time-zone as Ireland, this means an athlete can avoid that pre-competition jet-lag affect.
Potchefstroom, South Africa: At 1,350m “Potch” as it has affectionately become known as has become a fashionable choice for European athletes in the pre- and post-Christmas period. There are plenty of trails and track and it boost a High-Altitude Centre too. Right now, there are over 1,500 European athletes training in this area, including Joe Ryan’s group (DCU and beyond), Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson, along with her training partners Sarah Healy and Georgia Bell. A quick look at Strava or Instagram and you can see many more famous names. Like Dullstroom, it offers the benefits of being in the same time zone as Ireland. While Iten may be too high for sprinters, the altitude at Potchefstroom can be of benefit for both endurance and more explosive runners. However, if you are looking for Sarah Lavin right now, she is in Stellenbosch at just 136m altitude - clearly enjoying the better climate.
As the year progresses more altitude locations become an option.
Sierra Navada Spain: 2,320m where from April to October track athletes can benefit from the live high and train low approach. And the warm weather of course.
Font Romeu, France: 1,850m and is a very popular choice for many Irish and European athletes from May to October. It offers good trails, (but hilly), tracks and gyms and lots of self-catering accommodation for under 300 euro. It is two hours drive from Barcelona and a car is an advantage especially if you want to drop to the trails at 1,400m altitude for tougher sessions.
San Mortiz, Switzerland: 1,856m and best visited between June and September. It is a stunning location, favoured by many of Europe’s elite with excellent trails, tracks and gym facilities. You can also access lower altitudes within two hours away in Italy for faster track work outs. The downside is it can be expensive. It is 3.5 hours from Zurich and can be accessed via train or bus.
Livigno, Italy: At 1,800m this stunning Italian location is a much cheaper option than nearby San Mortiz. A flat run around the lake was one of my favourites. But there are lots of trails which can even take to much higher altitudes. Imagine doing reps on a track surrounded by an alpine vista. You can fly into several airports including Milan and it can take 2 to 3 hours to get to Livigno by public transport.
Flagstaff, Arizona: At 2,106m this is favoured by the Ingebrigtsen brothers, Jake Wightman, Ciara Mageean and is the home base for the coffee podcast crew of Michael McDonald and Georgie Beamish. While some athletes do head there early in the year you could expect snow even as late as April. April to October is the favoured time. Lots of excellent trails that start right in the city. You can drop down to Sedona (an hour away) at 1,400m for faster sessions.
Boulder, Colorado: 1,655m altitude and home to many American athletes with Scot Eilish McColgan being an annual visitor. There are plenty of races in the area so you can live high and race high. There are lots of trails and is best frequented between April and October. Like Flagstaff it can receive snow right into the depths of Spring.
Follow your favourite athletes on social media and see where they are.