Altitude Tents
So I was listening to a podacst with an ultrarunner who was preparing for the Leadville 100, which takes places largely over 10k ft. She discussed using an altitude tent to prepare. I'd never heard of this contraption. Loving gadgets, I did a little research.
The articles are all over the board. Some serious ultrarunners swear by them. However, the research is not clear on whether they're actually effective.
The tents themselves are quiet expensive. I did find a low-cost option that would have more WAF (wife acceptance factor) below. She would still hate it...
http://www.higherpeak.com/store/p11/Snowcap_Sleeping_Canopy.html
I'm giving serious consideration to doing the Leadman race series next year, which all occurs at high altitude. This could also be useful this season since I'm doing two races in Boulder. I live at about 4800ft in Utah, so Boulder isn't a big change for me. I didn't notice any altitude effect last year, but the thought of sleeping at a simulated 10k ft for the weeks leading up to the race is intriguing.
Any ENers have experience with altitude tents?
Comments
I've read info from an anesthesiologist/exercise physiologist/endurance athlete who has some interesting stuff on making your own hypoxic and, believe it or not, hyperoxia tents for training with some suggested protocols. I haven't actually ventured into the game but thinking about it
Dr Jonathan Edwards, A Surgeon’s Little-Known Secret to Biohacking Your Body With Oxygen Therapy
Read more http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2016/01/how-to-use-exercise-with-oxygen-therapy/
and
The Ultimate Guide To Biohacking Exercise With Oxygen Therapy, Hypoxia, Elevation & Altitude Training.
Read more http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2015/08/altitude-training-hypoxia-and-biohacking-with-oxygen/
Never used an altitude tent. But I have used Intermittent Hypoxication on a regular basis since 2005. Searching it on Google just now, I note that a blog post I wrote in 2009 comes up first (maybe because I'm the one doing the searching?) http://bikrutz.org/triblog/?p=242
I first bought mine from an outfit in Australia: https://www.altipower.com
More recently, from: http://altolab-usa.com
The altipower one was clunkier, and a bit more expensive, but easier to use. A device to monitor your PaO2 - one of those pulse oximeters they stick on your finger in a hospital - is mandatory, so you don't risk blackout.
As an anesthesiologist, Betsy might be able to make one of these intermittent hypoxicators herself, as the raw materials are all part of her daily routine.
I've refrained from commenting on this before in EN, as I fear that, despite some published studies, and my own success with it, it may just be a case of the placebo effect.
@Betsy, thanks for this resource! I didn't realize there was so much work and experimentation going on with oxygen hacking. This provides a really nice resource of different options. I had only heard of sleeping in an altitude tent. Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) sounds a lot more palatable than sleeping in a tent. Probably less likely to result in divorce.
@Al, this is a great blog post from 2009! You were way ahead of everyone. It sounds like your own experience has been that it has benefits, which is a big endorsement in my book. The Altolabs products you mention look reasonably priced. If it turns out not to work for me, then I'm not out a lot of scratch. It's definitely got me thinking about experimenting with IHT for Boulder...As an alternative, I've been using the Training Mask (~$80, link below) for a few years now and have seen positive results. Their tag line: "... allows you to experience hypoxic training without going to elevation ..."
I'm exclusively using the mask on bike trainer or treadmill. Took some getting used to, and some people have issues with the mask restricting their breathing (as it's designed too), but I have seen results on race day ... although I haven't tried racing at altitude.
https://www.trainingmask.com/
That adaptation occurs when you sleep vs. when you exercise. For this reason, many pros and others use the tents or hyperbolic chambers which simulate the altitude pressure somehow and result in your bone marrow increasing red blood cell count over weeks of time.
Lance Armstrong was know to use one among other less natural techniques......
Obviously increased red blood cell count allows you to better retrieve and absorb the oxygen available vs. a lower (sea level) red blood cell count.
That said, there are equally important benefits training at those altitudes and on that terrain, just know, that the actual process within your body occurs during sleep.
All this coming from a guy who read a bunch of books/articles over time FWIW.....
SS
I think she slept in this 4 nights a week for 10 weeks. If my memory serves me correctly, it will simulate altitude up to 10,000' or so. I can also tell you that the tent gets quite warm, so you will want to crank the AC in the room it is used in.
I did not use one, I was in the midst of training for IMMT which was approx 6 weeks after the climb. I can tell you that I had no issues in the 5 days we spent wandering the cone of Kili from 9'000-15,000', but that the summit day (15,600-19k+) kicked my arse. No joke, one of the hardest things I ever did. It was hard for her too, but she seemed to manage the altitude better.
you can rent through these guys and if you decide to buy, they will apply your rental charge against the purchase.
http://www.hypoxico.com/altitude-training-rental-systems/
you DO have to buy certain pieces as part of the package, there is a mouth piece you can use to use this on a bike or treadmill.
FYI - here;s the guy to talk to at Hypoxico, apparently if you look him up on linked in, he's also a "red bull sponsored athlete."
Dylan Bowman
Hypoxico Altitude Training
Director of Endurance Sales
303.419.3715
dbowman@hypoxico.com
@dylanbo
@Scott%20Dinhofer Wow, great to learn about your daughter's experience! This is the kind of feedback I was hoping for, a first-hand account - or near first-hand in this case. I've been up to over 14k ft for Mt Whitney. My buddies wear dying, and other hikers wear throwing up on the side of the trail. I had a mild headache and moved a bit slower, but otherwise I felt fine. I've been lucky so far the altitude doesn't seem to affect me as much as others, but it just takes one time to have a really bad day.
Thanks for the contact! I'll reach out to Dylan. Do you know what model your daughter used? It seems like the prices range from few hundred to a few thousand dollars. No way my wife will let me drop over a grand on an altitude tent, so I'm wondering if the lower end models are worth it. Renting might be the way to go, because I can't imagine I'd use it often after Leadville.
Stacy Sims is using an environmental chamber to study the benefits of exercising in heat, humidity, and at altitude (separately and together). She was on the March 19th episode of Fitter Radio (http://fitterradio.libsyn.com) with a segment she called "how to naturally achieve 'doping' level performance". One of her conclusions, based on her recent research, is that training in heat and humidity is more effective (or, at least, more consistent) than training at altitude.
So a cheap and effective alternative to an altitude training might be to put your bike trainer or treadmill in a small room with a big space heater!
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Use_of_the_Altium_i10_for_Intermittent_Hypoxic_Training_6290.html In this, Rapp discusses the fading fad of altitude tents and training.
Then, a study on the value of sauna immediately after run workouts:
https://saunaspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Effect-of-post-exercise-sauna-bathing-on-the-endurance-performance-of-competitive-male-runners.pdf
Purely anecdotally, I believe that both IHT and training at altitude, while not making me any faster, each improved my ability to maintain pace (i.e., NOT SLOW DOWN) at the end of both stand alone and IM marathons. Probably through endocrine and metabolic changes, as well as intramuscular, NOT by increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of my blood. Dosage: 2-3 weeks, ending 7-10 days before the event.
The size of the sauna study was pretty small (only six "competitive sub-elite runners and triathletes"), but the results seem statistically significant if their 90% confidence levels are to be believed.
I wonder if a hot tub would work as well. I don't have a sauna, but I do have a hot tub. Of course, there are significant differences. For one, the temperatures they used in the sauna (89.9C) would cook you in a hot tub.