Panel of experts: Sleep high – train low with a high-altitude tent

Altitude training has become an integral part of professional, successful competition preparation in almost all endurance sports. The reduced oxygen supply sets numerous positive adjustment processes in motion. Sleeping in a high-altitude tent has proven to be the most cost-effective type of high-altitude training. Sleeping in a high-altitude tent is particularly interesting for athletes who want to benefit from high-altitude training without changing their current training plan and training location.

You sleep in a high-altitude tent, whereby blood formation and breathing activity are primarily stimulated. After four weeks of eight to nine hours a day (1600-2550 m above sea level) in the high-altitude tent, the power plants of the muscle cells, the so-called mitochondria, multiply faster, so that the body gradually learns to deal more efficiently with the scarce resource - oxygen . The body does this by increasing the hemoglobin level in the blood.

Taken together, this leads to an increase in performance and also accelerates regeneration and fat burning. Altitude adjustment should be done in three phases: Day 1 to 7 at 1600 masl, Day 7-14 at 2150 masl, Day 14-31 at 2550 masl. I recommend staying overnight in the high-altitude tent up to two days before the competition (if a short journey to the competition allows). The high-altitude tent that I rent out measures 2 x 1.6 meters. It can be stretched over the bed or equipped with two mattresses.

Tent & training with mask

The generator supplied with the high-altitude tent can be used not only for oxygen control in the high-altitude tent but also for IHT (Intermittent Hypoxic Training). When breathing purely through a mask with a hose connection, an altitude of approx. 4500-5000 m.a.s.l. aimed at. I have the athletes do this passive breathing 2-3 times a week for 90 minutes. With the included oximeter the athlete can check the oxygen saturation and adjust the altitude so that the saturation drops to about 80%. This extra time with a mask results in a positive metabolic adaptation and positively accelerates the adaptation to altitude.

Tent, training with mask & breathlessness training

In order to boost the metabolic processes even more, I also send the athletes to breathlessness training once a week. Unlike hypoxic swimming, where breathing is reduced during exercise, breathlessness training focuses on the breaks. The athlete runs a set of 12-20 x 400 meters on the 400-meter track at a pace 10-12 percent faster than his 10-kilometer personal best. For a time of 40 minutes, that is between 86-88 seconds per 400 meter interval. During the break, he marches for 60-90 seconds with a respirator that he puts on (cover 90% of the area of ​​​​the particle filter with an adhesive tape). The runner takes the first 6-10 breaths after the exercise normally. Then he presses the mask to his face and checks the oxygen saturation with an oximeter in his other hand. This should fall to 88-90%. The aim is to keep the saturation between 88-90% during the break, even if the breathing reflex says; "Please take off this mask". Hold on and persevere. (Normal saturation at rest is 98-100%). With a little practice, this workout can also be done on the bike. It should be noted that the total duration of the breaks is approx. 1050 seconds (14 x approx. 75 seconds) at 88-90% saturation!

All the effort is of little use if the iron levels in the blood are not good

One of the most important things when an athlete is ready to do all that training is that they check their ferritin levels first. The trace element iron is primarily involved in the formation of red blood cells and is therefore indispensable for the vital oxygen transport in the blood. Due to the increased hemoglobin production, the oxygen transport and the supply of the organism with oxygen increases significantly as a direct result. For endurance athletes, the ferritin value is decisive. This must be over 100ug/L for the altitude training to be effective.

Benefits of sleep high train low

1) Increased oxygen uptake, increase in maximum O2 uptake by up to 6%

2) Increased lipid metabolism

3) Due to the lack of O2, oxidative processes are accelerated

4) Faster regeneration

5) With unchanged social environment

6) With the same everyday work, time gained compared to conventional altitude training

7) Cost savings compared to weeks of training at altitude.

8) Variety brings motivation.

Disadvantages

In summer it can get pretty warm in the high-altitude tent, but a fan can help. Therefore, place the generator in a cool place. If you have to get up during the night, please don't forget to close the tent lock immediately. Otherwise too much mountain air escapes and it takes about 15-30 minutes to reach the altitude again.

Buy cost point

Acquisition costs for tents, generators, masks and oximeters have fallen sharply in recent years. From about 3900 euros (tent/compressor/mask/oximeter).

Rent cost item

Especially for newcomers or professionals who cannot go to a high-altitude training camp for 3-4 weeks at a time, it is worth starting with the tent. The rent for four weeks including training instructions costs 400 euros

Profit

Approx. 90 seconds per 60 minutes of competition time.

Conclusion

Sleep high train low increases performance by up to 5 percent. I also like working with my Age Group athletes with the Pro version because altitude training is generally about breathing, oxygen and blood regeneration. Athletes are more open and willing to do breathwork or work with the mask if they are already sleeping in the tent every night and are 100% focused on their goal, regardless of whether they are pro or age group. It is important how the training and the sleep high-train low are adapted to each other during this time.

Instructions for reading the ZEN stories

Concentrate on the story and try not to interpret or understand anything until the end. When you have read the story, stop for a moment without thinking. But at the same time recapitulate the story again in front of your inner eye. Don't interpret anything, you don't need to understand or be taught anything. If you are lucky, and after that you practice, suddenly there comes a situation from your daily life where you can relate the Zen story, and from this arises an important question. Try to stick with the question for days without answering.

ZEN history

Once upon a time there was a man standing high on a mountain. Three wayfarers saw him standing in the distance and started a fight because of him. The first said, "He probably lost his favorite animal." The second said, "No, he's probably looking for his friend." The third said, "He's just standing up there enjoying the fresh air." The three men could disagree and continued arguing until the moment they reached the mountaintop themselves. The first asked: "Good friend, why are you standing here on this mountain? Have you lost your favorite animal?” “No, I don't miss a friend either.” The third hiker asked: “Oh, are you sure you're here to enjoy the fresh air?” “No.” “Yes, but what are you doing are you here if you answer no to all our questions?” The man on the mountain replied, “I’m just standing here.”

Training with Roy Hinnen

Roy Hinnen offers training camps in Davos to interested athletes. In the Swiss climatic health resort, athletes can individually train their swimming, cycling and running skills together with the triathlon coach. Lectures on mental training, nutrition and numerous other topics complement the training week.