Altitude and its effects on athletic performance

At altitudes of over 5,000 feet, the ability to perform physical work is affected--the higher the altitude, the more severe the effects. In general, one can expect a reduction in endurance capacity as measured by the maximal oxygen consumption of 3 to 3.5 percent for every 1,000 feet ascended above 5,000 feet. Work performance and maximum oxygen consumption are reduced by 60 percent or more at extremely high altitudes, i.e., at around 25,000 feet (Fox, 1981, p. 443). Although such reductions in physical performance are large as they stand, they are based on physically fit and acclimatized mountain climbers.

Acclimatization refers to certain physiological adjustments which are brought about through continued exposure to altitude and which significantly improve performance. For the unacclimated person, additional oxygen is essential above 18,000 feet (5,488 meters). Fox (1988) puts "high altitude" into perspective:

More than approximately 15 million people live at an altitude higher than 10,000 feet. Most athletic competition

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sation of soreness and dryness of the throat. Solar radiation is more intense at high altitude than at sea level, and athletes must be aware of the debilitating effects of the sun's rays. The force of gravity is slightly less at altitude, so that the work required to lift the body (as in the high jump and pole vault) is decreased. Even so, the practical effect on performance is probably quite small. Performance may actually be improved at high altitude in certain types of activity that are of short duration, because of the decreased air resistance. The reason for this is that sprint activities are powered largely by anaerobic metabolism and, as such, are not greatly affected by aerobic availability. Aerobic power (maximal oxygen uptake) is, on the other hand, reduced at high altitude. This means that the intensity of work that can be performed in a steady state (such as distance running events) is reduced, and anaerobic metabolism must be called on to supplement aerobic metabolism at a lower rate of exertion. In the Mexico City Olympics, "there was either improvement or no impairment of performance in running events up to 400 meters. There was an impairment of about 3% in the 800 meter run, and of 10% in the 5,000 and 1
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Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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