Altitude & Exercise

When exercising in higher altitudes, organization and planning are very important.

This isn’t a type of exercise that you can do without it.

Your health depends on it.

The first things that should be considered are the altitude acclimation procedures, the environment, safety protocols and understanding what altitude sickness is and how to recognize and/or prevent it. Always have a plan for emergency assistance.

A few ways to minimize your risk of emergency assistance include monitoring activity level in relation to the altitude change, proper clothing, hydration and knowing when to give yourself a rest. At high altitudes, focus more on the target heart rate than maintaining a consistent intensity. When exercising in high altitude, it is important to give your body the appropriate amount of time to adapt. For some individuals this can be done in days, others will take weeks. Always start with low intensity. During the first few days, exercise should be minimum to protect against altitude sickness.

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“Altitude Sickness AKA acute mountain sickness (noun):

Illness caused by ascent to a high altitude and resulting in shortage of oxygen, characterized chiefly by hyperventilation, nausea, exhaustion, and cerebral edema”

-Oxford Languages

If altitude sickness becomes an issue, lower back down to the previous altitude to recover and try again. Altitude sickness is most common to occur within 18-22 hours and recover over the next one to two days. If conditions do not improve, seek medical attention through your emergency protocols.

**In order to improve physical abilities at a higher altitude, adaptations require 6-12 days**

According to ACSM 10th edition, for every day spent at 1,200 m or more an individual is prepare for a rapid ascent to a higher altitude equal to the number of days at that altitude times 305 m. This applies to altitudes up to 4,267 m.