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Moving From 1200m To Sea Level Felt Easier
- Mike Finch lived and trained in Johannesburg (~1200 m) and moved to sea level, noticing easier training but greater training stimulus at sea level.
- He found sea-level sessions allowed higher absolute efforts that felt more productive than altitude training.
Why Altitude Immediately Hurts Performance
- Lower barometric pressure at altitude reduces arterial oxygen and VO2max, so acute performance declines roughly linearly with altitude.
- The body senses hypoxia and triggers ventilation, heart rate and downstream adaptations via hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF).
HIF Is The Central Altitude Switch
- Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizes at altitude and increases EPO production in kidneys, driving rises in hemoglobin mass.
- HIF also alters many other genes, so altitude effects extend beyond blood to metabolism and mitochondria.