What are the physiological benefits of altitude training?
• Increase in blood flow to the lungs, promoting oxygen exchange Increase of the permeability of the lungs to oxygen Increase in the number of red blood cells able to carry oxygen Increase in enzymes that facilitate release of oxygen from red blood cells into muscles Increase in capillary density in muscles Increase in the number of mitochondria (the energy-producing structures inside muscle cells) Together, these changes represent a powerful combination of positive effects that can significantly improve your athletic performance. Q: What is EPO? Isn’t it banned? A: EPO (erythropoietin), a hormone naturally produced in the body, signals the bone marrow to begin the production of new red blood cells. Everyone has natural EPO in their body. One of the main effects of altitude training is to stimulate the production of natural EPO. Synthetic EPO is a drug developed for treatment of severe anemia, which may develop from cancer treatments or HIV infection. As an athletic performance booster
