High Altitude Training and Seasonal Aspects

This lesson covers high altitude training and the seasonal aspects of training (periodisation) as required by the AQA GCSE PE specification (3.1.3). You need to understand why athletes train at altitude, the physiological effects, the benefits and limitations, and how training is structured across different seasons of the sporting year.

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High Altitude Training

What Is High Altitude Training?

High altitude training involves training at elevations of 2,000 metres or more above sea level. At high altitude, the air pressure is lower, which means there is less oxygen available per breath. This forces the body to make physiological adaptations to cope with the reduced oxygen supply.

Why Do Athletes Train at Altitude?

The primary reason is to stimulate the body to produce more red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles. When the athlete returns to sea level, they have a temporarily increased oxygen-carrying capacity, which can improve endurance performance.

Physiological Effects of Training at Altitude

When an athlete first arrives at high altitude, the body experiences several immediate effects:

Immediate Effect	Explanation
Increased breathing rate	The body breathes faster to try to take in more oxygen
Increased heart rate	The heart beats faster to circulate the available oxygen more quickly
Reduced performance	Less oxygen means muscles receive less fuel, reducing aerobic capacity
Headaches, nausea, fatigue	Symptoms of altitude sickness caused by the lower oxygen levels
Dehydration	The air is drier at altitude, and increased breathing rate leads to greater water loss

Over time (typically 2–4 weeks), the body adapts:

Long-term Adaptation	Explanation
Increased red blood cell production	The kidneys release more erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells
Increased haemoglobin concentration	More haemoglobin means more oxygen can be carried per unit of blood
Increased capillarisation	More capillaries develop in the muscles, improving oxygen delivery
Increased myoglobin	Myoglobin stores oxygen in the muscles, and levels increase at altitude
Improved oxygen transport efficiency	The cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering and using oxygen

The "Live High, Train Low" Approach

Many elite athletes use the "live high, train low" method:

• Live at high altitude (2,000–2,500 m) to stimulate red blood cell production.
• Travel down to lower altitude for training sessions to maintain the ability to train at high intensity.
• This approach gives the benefits of altitude acclimatisation without the drawback of being unable to train as hard.

Some athletes use altitude tents or hypoxic chambers to simulate altitude conditions while sleeping, without needing to relocate to a mountainous area.

Benefits of High Altitude Training

Benefit	Explanation
Increased red blood cell count	More red blood cells mean more oxygen can be transported to working muscles
Increased haemoglobin	More haemoglobin per red blood cell increases oxygen-carrying capacity
Improved cardiovascular endurance	The cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen
Improved VO₂ max	Maximum oxygen uptake increases, directly improving aerobic performance
Competitive advantage	Endurance athletes (marathon runners, cyclists, swimmers) may perform better at sea level for several weeks after altitude training
Psychological benefit	Training in a challenging environment builds mental toughness

Limitations of High Altitude Training

Limitation	Explanation
Cannot train as hard	Reduced oxygen means athletes cannot maintain the same training intensity as at sea level — this can lead to a temporary reduction in fitness
Altitude sickness	Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue can affect athletes, especially in the first few days
Expensive	Travel to altitude training camps, accommodation, and loss of time away from home/competition are costly
Benefits are temporary	The increased red blood cell count returns to normal within a few weeks of returning to sea level
Dehydration risk	The dry air and increased breathing rate at altitude increase the risk of dehydration
Sleep disturbance	Altitude can disrupt sleep patterns, reducing recovery quality
Individual variation	Not all athletes respond equally to altitude training — some gain significant benefits while others show little improvement
Illness risk	The immune system can be suppressed at altitude, increasing susceptibility to illness

Evaluating High Altitude Training

When evaluating altitude training in the exam, consider both sides:

Arguments in favour:

• Used by the majority of elite endurance athletes worldwide.
• Proven physiological benefits (increased red blood cells, haemoglobin, VO₂ max).
• Can provide a legal competitive advantage.

Arguments against:

• Benefits are temporary — they wear off within weeks.
• Training intensity must be reduced at altitude, which could lead to detraining of speed and power.
• Expensive and time-consuming.
• Risk of altitude sickness and illness.
• Not all athletes respond positively.

Exam Tip: When evaluating altitude training, always present both benefits and limitations and reach a conclusion. For example: "Overall, altitude training is most beneficial for elite endurance athletes who can afford the time and expense, but the temporary nature of the benefits and the risk of reduced training intensity mean it must be carefully planned and timed around the competition calendar."

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Seasonal Aspects of Training (Periodisation)

What Is Periodisation?

Periodisation is the structured planning of training over a period of time (usually a year) to ensure the athlete reaches peak performance at the right time (typically during the competition season). The training year is divided into three seasons, each with a different focus.

The Three Seasons

graph LR
    A["Pre-Season<br/>(Preparation)"] --> B["Competition Season<br/>(Performance)"]
    B --> C["Post-Season<br/>(Transition/Recovery)"]
    C --> A

    style A fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
    style C fill:#27ae60,color:#fff

1. Pre-Season (Preparation Phase)

When: The weeks and months before the competitive season begins.

Focus: Building a strong fitness base and preparing the body for the demands of competition.