#physioinnovation

About IHE/HIH altitude training protocols, alternative passive recovery/performance enhancing strategies in altitude...

Different altitude-training protocols exist and there are more to come, but something that could draw attention to athletes is the most time efficient ways to gain in endurance capacity or to use recovery strategies. At Physioinnovation we consult and help you getting the right type of altitude training protocols for your sport, the timing of your peak performance, recovery strategies and so on.

More from the sports science concerning the IHT/HIH protocols, that we also offer at AlpCamps Sports Institute

Recently, Bonetti et al., (2009) conducted a trial of intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE). IHE is described as being brief exposure to altitude ( less than 3 hours) (Bonetti and Hopkins, 2009). It has been proposed that muscular changes such as increased muscular buffering and haematological changes such as increased levels of reticolucytes (immature red blood cells – the carriers of oxygen) and haemaglobine (mature red blood cells – the carriers of oxygen) induced by a IHE protocol could possibly increase endurance performance (Bonetti et al., 2009).

Results from a study conducted by Bonetti and Hopkins (2009) obtained 3 days after the 3-week protocol by the test group (18 males) compared with a control group (8 males): The test group showed a 4,7% increase in cycling peak power, measured via a so-called incremental ramp test, where subjects increased the resistance on the bike every 3rd minute until exhaustion. These measurements was encountered in WATT, a tool that could be used by cyclists I.e. (SRM power data etc…) 
Lactate profile power was increased (4,4%) – This would suggest that one conducting a sport were there is a period of lactic acid building, such as heavy and sore muscles would be able to prolong his period in where he/she could work intensively. 

Heart rate profile power (6,5%) was increased as well, which would suggest that I.e. running 19,5km/hr would be 6,5% less hard for the cardiovascular system. Conclusively, the results would suggest that the increased cycling performance were due to peripheral changes, such as increased muscular buffering which means a better distribution of lactate acid elsewhere in the body, since there were no changes in haematological parameters such as haemaglobine.


Practically, the implementation of this time-efficient altitude training, would suggest a break through for competitive athletes, since it can be difficult to implement long duration live high train low protocols (>12 hours a day above 2500metres >21 days) within hard training periods. 
 The  ultimate increase in performance within cycling peak power attenuated by increasing peripheral parameters such as lactate removal and more hence increase the efficiency of the muscle fibre can be obtained by consulting wihtin altitude training, as we propose at Physioinnovation. 

Lately Chui et al, (2012) discovered that IHT or here called HIH  Hypobaric intermittent hypoxia affected the cardiovascular system by an anti-hypertensive effect, although the study was conducted on rats the correlation to IHE on humans could might well be the same. 

References
: Bonetti, D.L., Hopkins, W.G., Lowe, T.E., Kilding, A.E., (2009), Cycling Performance FollowingAdaptation to Two Protocols of Acutely Intermittent Hypoxia, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, vol.4, p.68-83 

Bonetti, D.L., Hopkins, W.G., (2009), Sea-level exercise performance following adaptation to hypoxia: a meta-analysis, Sports Med, vol. 39(2), p.107-27 

Millet, G.P., Roels, B., Schmitt, L., Woorons, X., Richalet, J.P., (2010), Combining Hypoxic Methods for Peak Performance, Sports med

What is Physioinnovation?

We made this video to explain what we are in drawings, super easy to digest.

Physioinnovation is a consulting company within sport performance that has more than 12 years experience & background from endurance and extreme sports from the Alps. We have segments in bike fitting & Virtual Sports Coaching. We also consult within altitude training, both program, hypoxic training methods & sales.

Interval training is the most time efficient way to increase your sport performance. But what kind of intervals should you do to enhance your physical performance efficiently? This blog contains some elements from exercise physiology and the implementation of this type of training. A bit of exercise physiology...

You should consider if you have an anaerobic component*, which is very important in your sport: skiing/football/handball/competition cycling/running among others. *(Ability to perform high intensity that is not totally covered by the oxygen supply) You will feel the burning sensation in your muscles at work, ultimately making you stop to recover... Physiologically you will have a higher amount of lactic acid in your blood, which is a good thing since it opens up the "neuromuscular" gate to facilitate more muscle fibers to contract... It is the Kalium or K+ that makes you feel pain and ultimately stop to recover...

Practical example...

Example of anaerobic intervals: Intervals to increase anaerobic threshold (your ability to sustain lactic acid and the removal of Kalium) is normally ranging from 5-40 seconds at max intensity for the whole period. Pause should be 10 times the workload in between sets. Ex: 30-second maximum running/biking etc followed by 10x30second=5min pause or very light recovery running/cycling etc. Sets should be ranging from 2-12 pr. session. Goal: Increasing neural capacity (the nervous response to the muscle, speed of muscle contraction etc), increasing muscle buffer capacity to work without oxygen. Aerobic capacity/Vo2Max If your main goal is increasing aerobic capacity or Vo2 max*, main concern should be on longer intervals, with shorter recovery breaks but overall lower intensity in work periods compared to above-mentioned anaerobic intervals. Main outcome goals for doing intervals

Competition athletes: Increasing average and maximum speeds, increase power/weight ratio, increasing wattage (cyclists) or output without increasing effort measured in heart rate. Recreational athletes: Lose body fat and increase power/weight ratio, increase well-being, increase coordination of movements (efficiency). This type of training would be excellent in the later preparing phase for longer endurance events such as cyclosportives in the alps, ultra endurance runs, long distance cross country skiing etc... References: Clinical sports medicine, Brukner and Khan. training Aerobic anaerobic, Michalsik, Bangsbo.