Effect of an Eleven-Day Altitude Training Program on Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance in Adolescent Runners

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> We evaluated the effect of an eleven-day altitude training camp on aerobic and anaerobic fitness in trained adolescent runners. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Twenty adolescent (14–18 yrs) middle- and long-distance runners (11 males and 9 fema...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Petr Bahenský, Václav Bunc, Pavel Tlustý, Gregory J. Grosicki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/56/4/184
Description
Summary:<i>Background and Objectives:</i> We evaluated the effect of an eleven-day altitude training camp on aerobic and anaerobic fitness in trained adolescent runners. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Twenty adolescent (14–18 yrs) middle- and long-distance runners (11 males and 9 females; 16.7 ± 0.8 yrs), with at least two years of self-reported consistent run training, participated in this study. Eight of the subjects (4 females/4 males) constituted the control group, whereas twelve subjects (5 females/7 males) took part in a structured eleven-day altitude training camp, and training load was matched between groups. Primary variables of interest included changes in aerobic (VO<sub>2</sub>max) and anaerobic (30 s Wingate test) power. We also explored the relationships between running velocity and blood lactate levels before and after the altitude training camp. <i>Results:</i> Following 11 days of altitude training, desirable changes (<i>p</i> < 0.01) in VO<sub>2</sub>max (+13.6%), peak relative work rate (+9.6%), and running velocity at various blood lactate concentrations (+5.9%–9.6%) were observed. Meanwhile, changes in Wingate anaerobic power (+5.1%) were statistically insignificant (<i>p</i> > 0.05). <i>Conclusions:</i> Short duration altitude appears to yield meaningful improvements in aerobic but not anaerobic power in trained adolescent endurance runners.
ISSN:1010-660X