12-DAY ADVENTURE RUN-HIKE TRAINING AT ALTITUDE IMPROVES SEA LEVEL 5KM PERFORMANCE

<p>Elite and recreational endurance athletes routinely seek strategies to enhance sea level (SL) performance. Altitude (ALT) training continues to be an appealing approach. The primary purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a 12-day adventure running camp at ALT on 5 km time trial (TT) performance at SL. Secondarily, we explored changes in select metabolic and blood variables. We hypothesized an improvement in TT at SL. A group of five well-trained individuals (2 females) volunteered. TT, maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), running economy (RE), and a complete blood count (CBC) were measured at SL before and after ALT. Natural ALT exposure occurred in Colorado where runners engaged in low-moderate intensity trail runs for 12 days. After 12 days, runners traveled to SL for post-testing 1 day (e.g., TT) and 3 days (i.e., VO₂max, RE, CBC) after return from ALT. Paired t-tests were utilized to describe differences between pre- and post-tests with p < 0.05 set for significance. Mean TT performance improved significantly from pre- to post-ALT (-3%, p=0.004). Moreover, significant increases occurred in red blood cell count (+5.6%, p=0.005), hemoglobin concentration (+8.4%, p=0.012), and hematocrit (+6.7%, p=0.012). There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences observed for VO₂max and RE. Since TT improved, our hypothesis was supported and positive blood changes (e.g., hematocrit) may have contributed to the enhanced 5km SL performance.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Health and Human Performance

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Andrew M

Contributors dc:contributor

• Scott Drm

• Altitude
• performance
• training
• running
• Other Medicine and Health Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/103

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.nmu.edu:theses-1122