1. Rodríguez, F.A., Levine, B.D. The Altitude Project: An
international collaborative research project on
altitude training in elite swimmers. Biomechanics
and Medicine in Swimming XI. Oslo, 2010.
ferran.a.rodriguez@gmail.com
Sport Sciences Research Group INEFC Barcelona
Grup de Recerca en Ciències de l'Esport INEFC Barcelona
Grup Consolidat (2009 SGR1054)
Institut Nacional d’Educació Física de Catalunya
Av. de l’Estadi, 12-22
08038 Barcelona (Spain)
+34 93 425 54 45 grce@gencat.cat @Recerca_INEFC

2. The Altitude Project
An International Collaborative Research Project on Altitude Training in Elite Swimmers
Ferran A. Rodríguez
Benjamin D. Levine

3. The ALTITUDE Project
What is it?
An international collaborative research project on the impact
of different strategies of altitude training on performance,
technique and health status in elite swimmers

4. The ALTITUDE Project
Justification
● An Olympic swimmer should improve his/her performance by
about 1% within the year leading up to the Olympics to stay in
contention for a medal
● A recent meta-analysis concluded that the expectable
performance benefit from AT/hypoxic training for elite
athletes could be as high as 1.6%
● In spite of the research carried out over the last four decades,
the effectiveness and physiological mechanisms through which
AT should enhance sea level performance are still
controversial
Bonetti & Hopkins (2009) Sports Med, 39: 107-27

5. The ALTITUDE Project
Justification
● The questions we need to answer are:*
Does AT works for elite swimmers? Effectiveness
Why? Mechanisms
How? Methods and strategies
When? Planning and competition after AT
For whom? Inter- / intrasubject variability
BMS2010 : Saturday 19, 10:30 (Aud. A)

6. The ALTITUDE Project
Aims
● To compare altitude training (Hi-Hi, Hi-Lo) and sea level training on
sea level performance
aerobic & anaerobic metabolic capacities
economy
hematologic & biochemical markers
cardiovascular system (echocardiography & HRV)
● To elucidate whether the adaptive mechanisms
are mainly hematologic (erythropoiesis)
non-hematologic

7. The ALTITUDE Project
Aims
● To monitor the time course of the adaptations
● To determine whether AT affects swimming technique before, during or
after acclimatization
● To disclose negative effects on athletes’ health
cardiovascular system
prooxidant/antioxidant balance
immune status

8. The ALTITUDE Project
An International Project
● High-profile group of sport scientists from
USA, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Invited to join: Norway, Japan, France, Canada, NZ, China
● 40 elite swimmers and coaches from
USA, Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Spain
Invited to join: Australia, Germany, France, Finland, Portugal, Estonia, South Africa,
Italy, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, China
● Altitude camps at CAR Sierra Nevada (2,230 m) and sea-level camps
at Barcelona
● The project is open to sports and scientific national organizations
from all countries willing to contribute with recruiting and funding
athletes, coaches and scientists

9. The ALTITUDE Project
Design
The ALTITUDE Project
Altitude
(m)
Hi-Hi Hi-Lo
2,230 Sierra Nevada
High
Intensity
Training
690
Initial Final Barcelona
Testing Lo-Lo Testing
0
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 +1 Weeks
Performance
TT Technique
50m
100m
400m
Cardiorespiratory
ECON Metabolism
VO2M
Lead-in MAOD Follow-up
Training at Testing at
Home Home
Hematology
MHb
HEM Oxidative stress
Fe Immunology
OXI
IMM
Cardiovascular
Echocardiography
HRV ECHO ECHO
BP
HRV

10. The ALTITUDE Project
Recruitment and Funding
The ALTITUDE Project
● Confirmed
Ministry of Science of Spain
Higher Spanish Sports Council
The Spanish Olympic Committee
Spanish Swimming – RFEN
Dutch Swimming – KNZB
● Under study
IOC - Olympic Solidarity
FINA
US Olympic Committee
Australian Institute of Sport
Portuguese Swimming
German Swimming – DSV
Australian Institute of Sport
Finnish Society of Sports Science
Italian Olympic Committee
Int. Assoc. High Performance Centers

11. The ALTITUDE Project

12. The ALTITUDE Project

13. We count on you, talk to us!
thealtitudeproject@gmail.com