Altitude training- over the years this type of training has been associated mainly with professional athletes who are looking to improve their performance and endurance. However, you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete to reap the many benefits it provides! Training at high altitudes has been proven to trigger both physical and mental benefits that have the potential to last for long periods of time after returning to sea level.
Chalet Sapphire is located a 1000m above sea level, this altitude is quite a bit higher than what our bodies are used to working at from sea level. Rather than letting this sound intimidating, we want you to know that there are long-term benefits to training at such a height.
What are some of these benefits?
Increased recovery
Improved metabolism rates
Heightened oxygen carrying capacity
Strengthened stamina
Often referred to as intermittent hypoxia, which exposes the body to limited supplies of oxygen resulting in the body now having to adapt and respond by boosting its ability to carry red blood cells. Studies have shown that training high up can increase the production of Hemoglobin – the protein found in red blood cells by 1%. The levels of Hemoglobin for non-endurance athletes is less and for these individuals the possibility of experiencing a greater and more rapid boost is likely.
Shorter intense workouts
Shorter and sweeter! Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Training at high altitude allows you to exercise at a higher intensity for a shorter period of time. The high demand required from your body means you can shorten your workout time with the same effects as a longer session- dreamy… right? Altitude training requires more energy expenditure from your body, 30 minutes of exercise at altitude is equivalent to 1 hour at sea level. Essentially, exercising for a shorter period of time means that your body is put under less physical pressure, which minimizes the risk of injury.
Calorie Burn
Metabolic rate- we all know about it. Training at altitude will enhance your metabolic rate as the body has the ability to use up all the carbohydrates usually stored as fat for energy, resulting in increased likelihood of fat loss. During an altitude workout your body can burn roughly 2.5 times more calories than in normal circumstances. It also increases the production of the hormone Leptin, which is in charge of telling your body when it’s full, and to top off the benefits, this type of training also stimulates the hormone Lipolysis which is used for fat burning to aid fat loss.
Oxygen efficiency
Well, I’m sure it’s a commonly known fact that oxygen is pretty important for us to live. High altitude training improves our ability to efficiently use the oxygen we take in.
At altitude, there’s less available oxygen for us- meaning the body draws in less of it with each breath which forces our bodies to work harder to receive the oxygen to fuel itself. Once the body understands this process and understands how to receive oxygen more efficiently, it means it’ll work more proactively when it’s more readily available at lower altitude. It’s been proven that improving this oxygen capacity and efficiency can have some incredible benefits to our health. Things such as; decreasing anxiety and depression levels, strengthening our lungs and heart and can even help treat medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes. Who would’ve thought?
