With the 2012 London Olympic Games just around the corner, athletes have been training tirelessly to prepare. Some of these athletes have discovered a secret weapon that comes from high up in the mountains. It’s not a magical potion or a hidden coach—it’s the altitude itself. This technique is known as altitude training.
Have you ever felt the pressure in your ears when you dive deep underwater? That’s because the deeper you go, the more water is pressing down on you. The same idea applies to air pressure at sea level. Air particles are packed closely together, but as you move higher up, the pressure decreases, and the air particles spread out. This means there’s less oxygen available to breathe at higher altitudes.
So, how does less oxygen become an advantage? When there’s less oxygen, your body responds by producing a protein in the kidneys called erythropoietin. This protein helps create more and larger red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout your body. More red blood cells mean more oxygen can reach your muscles and organs, enhancing your performance.
However, this process takes time. That’s why some people feel sick when they quickly travel to high altitudes—their bodies aren’t getting enough oxygen right away. But once the erythropoietin kicks in, their bodies gradually adjust.
Interestingly, it also takes time for your body to stop producing extra red blood cells when you return to lower altitudes. This can take about 10 to 14 days. Athletes take advantage of this by living at high altitudes, usually over 2,400 meters, to increase their red blood cell count. Then, they train at lower altitudes to avoid overworking their bodies or getting sick. This strategy is known as the “live high, train low” principle.
Having more oxygen in the body gives athletes a significant edge, especially in endurance sports. It could be the difference between winning a bronze, silver, or gold medal. Some facilities even simulate high-altitude conditions by creating low-oxygen environments where athletes can live and sleep, while still training in normal oxygen levels outside. This offers a natural alternative to performance-enhancing drugs.
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Imagine you’re an athlete preparing for the Olympics. Design a simple experiment to simulate high-altitude conditions using household items. Measure how your breathing rate changes in different scenarios. Share your findings with the class and discuss how this relates to altitude training.
In groups, create a role-play scenario where you are red blood cells traveling through the body. Act out how your journey changes when the body is at high altitude versus sea level. Highlight the role of erythropoietin and how it affects your function.
Create an interactive map showing different altitudes around the world. Identify areas where athletes might train using the “live high, train low” principle. Present your map to the class and explain why these locations are ideal for altitude training.
Participate in a class debate on the advantages and disadvantages of altitude training compared to sea level training. Use evidence from the article to support your arguments. Consider factors like accessibility, cost, and effectiveness.
Using what you’ve learned about altitude training, design a two-week training program for an athlete preparing for a marathon. Include details on living and training locations, daily activities, and how to monitor the athlete’s adaptation to altitude.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music] With the 2012 London Olympic Games beginning in under a month, many athletes have been hard at work training day in and day out. Some endurance competitors have found a secret advantage that lurks high above sea levels and upon mountaintops. No, it’s not Julie Andrews, but rather the altitude itself. These athletes are using altitude training.
Most of us have experienced being underwater and the pressure that comes along with swimming too deep. This is because the further down you go, the more water molecules you have above you compressing the water down on you. This pressure can even cause your ears to pop. The same goes for air at sea level; the air particles exist at a particular distance from one another, and the higher up you go, the less pressure they have on them, allowing them to spread apart more freely. However, because of this spreading, the availability of oxygen for you to breathe actually decreases.
So how could this possibly create an advantage? To compensate for the lack of available oxygen, a protein in the kidney called erythropoietin is triggered, which begins the production of more and larger red blood cells. Blood cells carry oxygen around the body, so the more blood cells you have, the more oxygen can be transported to your muscles and organs. But this process takes some time, which explains why some people feel sick when quickly traveling to high altitudes; their body simply isn’t receiving enough oxygen. Once the extra erythropoietin kicks in, their body will slowly acclimatize.
Just as it takes time for the process to kick in, it can take a while for it to turn off as well. In fact, it can take up to 10 to 14 days after returning to lower altitudes. For this reason, many athletes will subject their bodies to high altitudes, preferably over 2,400 meters, so that when they come back down to lower levels, their body has increased blood cell mass and volume. This method has been dubbed the “live high, train low” principle, whereby athletes train at lower altitudes to avoid overexerting their bodies or getting sick.
This extra oxygen in the body not only creates a distinct advantage for aerobic athletes but could also be the distinction between bronze, silver, or gold. In fact, some facilities are now being created as low-oxygen level houses where athletes live and sleep inside, but train outside where their bodies will take in higher oxygen levels—a somewhat natural alternative to drug enhancements.
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This version removes any unnecessary or potentially sensitive content while retaining the informative essence of the original transcript.
Altitude – The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level. – Mountain climbers often train at high altitude to improve their lung capacity and endurance.
Oxygen – A colorless, odorless reactive gas that is essential for respiration in living organisms. – During intense exercise, the body requires more oxygen to produce energy efficiently.
Training – The process of learning the skills needed for a particular job or activity, often involving physical exercise. – Athletes undergo rigorous training to enhance their physical performance and stamina.
Erythropoietin – A hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells. – Erythropoietin levels increase when the body is exposed to low oxygen environments, such as high altitudes.
Pressure – The force exerted by a substance in contact with another substance, often measured in terms of atmospheric pressure. – The pressure of the atmosphere decreases as altitude increases, affecting how much oxygen is available to breathe.
Performance – The action or process of carrying out a task or function, often measured by effectiveness or efficiency. – The athlete’s performance improved significantly after months of dedicated training and proper nutrition.
Athletes – Individuals who are trained or skilled in physical activities, sports, or exercises. – Professional athletes often follow strict diets and exercise regimens to maintain peak physical condition.
Blood – The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins, carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body and removing waste products. – Blood tests can provide important information about an individual’s health and fitness levels.
Cells – The basic structural, functional, and biological units of all living organisms. – Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Endurance – The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. – Long-distance runners require high levels of endurance to maintain their pace over many miles.
