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absynthian asked in SportsCycling · 1 decade ago

Altitude Exercise Adjustment?

I live and exercise at 1000ft approx, and will be spending Spring Break at 8000ft. In the past I've felt a little woozy occasionally at that elevation. Anything I can do before hand to prepare for the oxygen difference? I'm concerned about maintaining my cycling schedule/intensity at that elevation.

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  • 1 decade ago
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    The best way to acclimatize yourself to moderate or high altitude is through exposure. If you are concerned about performance you should exercise as high of altitude as you can as often as you can. Even exercising for 1 hour a day over a week will result in the same acclimatization as spending 7 days at the same altitude.

    If access to elevations of 5000ft or higher is a problem there are a few strategies after you arrive to mitigate the negative side effects:

    (1) spend time at an intermediate altitude the day before traveling to higher altitudes

    (2) allow 24 hours at altitude before exercising

    (3) allow yourself extra time to fall asleep because sleep patterns can be disrupted with moderate altitude changes

    (4) drink plenty of water while exercising to ensure proper hydration because your body flushes water to facilitate oxygen transportation

    (5) slightly increase the proportion of calories from carbohydrates because you are working slightly harder

    (6) pace yourself because the effort level at which your body starts to build up lactic acid is lowered at higher altitudes.

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