This document discusses altitude training and periodization. Altitude training involves living or training at high altitude to improve endurance performance through increased red blood cell concentration upon returning to sea level. The process involves acclimatization, primary training at altitude, and recovery upon returning to sea level. Problems with altitude training include physiological stresses and the disruption to an athlete's normal training. Periodization involves planning training in cycles to optimize performance and avoid overtraining. It includes tapering training loads before events to allow the body to peak and supercompensate.

1. Altitude training and
periodisation
Specialised Training

2. Learning Goals
• To understand process, benefits and
drawbacks of altitude training (was on paper
last year as a 14 mark question)
* To understand the process of periodisation,
and recognise the importance of tapering to
peak for competition.

3. Altitude training
• Means to improve endurance performance
• Significant success of athletes who live at
altitude
• Aerobic performance increased due to
increase in red blood cell concentration

4. Physiology
• Over 8,000 feet above sea level pO2 is
reduced
• Body adapts by increasing red blood cells
and Hb. Therefore, what happens?
In addition hormone EPO increases

5. Altitude training
• On return to sea level, what happens to
performance?
• What else may happen that delays fatigue?
• Several weeks required to get these effects.
How does this impact on an athlete's life?

6. Phases of altitude
training
• Acclimatisation
• Primary training
• Recovery

7. Phases of altitude
training
• On return to sea level, there is:
• A positive phase
• Progressive return to sea-level training
• A fitness peak

8. Other methods
• Live at altitude, train at sea level
• 'high altitude house'

9. Problems?
• What are some of the problems with altitude
training?
•1
•2
•3
•4

10. • Optimises performance
Periodisation
• No point in training at the same level all of the
time - no fitness gains!
• What would an endurance performer need to
improve?
• What would a sprinter need to improve?

11. Periodisation
• What do you think periodisation is?
• Split into macrocycles, mesocycles and
microcycles

12. A microcycle

13. A mesocycle

14. A macrocycle

15. Tapering and peaking
• Reducing daily training loads prior to event to
allow supercompensation

16. Wave-like
periodisation

17. Exam questions