Sky High Training or Not?

During a recent dinner with a good friend and top boxing trainer, the old standard of training high and performing low was brought up. You know what I mean and you have seen it on 24/7 with Marquez and Pacquiao. You train in the mountains and then come down for the fight. The same discussion was also brought up again during an interview with a pro boxer. After giving it some consideration I figured I would let everyone know what the purpose behind altitude training is.  Also I want to let everyone know why I wouldn’t consider it for a pro boxer unless you fight at the same elevation as your training.

The body is a remarkable piece of machinery and when it is working smoothly it can adapt to most physical tasks asked of it given the proper recovery, nutrition and training time. One such adaptation is adjusting to altitude or any area with a decrease in oxygen. It all starts with a hypoxic ( low oxygen ) environment. The body needs oxygen to be able to function ( muscle growth, healing, energy production, etc). When there is a decrease in blood volume or environmental oxygen due to atmosphere changes it produces a Erythropoietin (EPO) in the kidneys to help increase red blood cell production and oxygen transport. Once the proper oxygen levels are reached the body decreases the EPO production. So follow me here, if you train at a higher altitude( 1000+ meters above sea level) the body will adapt by producing more EPO, expanding the number of red blood cells and oxygen in the blood to help increase muscle function, decrease fatigue and aid in healing. So, hypothetically you should be able to fight longer, harder with out getting fatigued or winded.

Sounds great in theory. You’re planning training camp for your fight and its going to be a 6-8 week camp. You decide to spend part of your camp in the mountains to gain this possible advantage. There are different ways to do this: You can train high and live low, you can live and train low, or you can buy a machine that can simulate the altitude training. Now here is where things get a little sticky. The science shows that the body adapts. We all remember the saying, ” Use it or Lose it?” well you’re going to have to fly to the fight, appear at press conferences, make the weigh in and then take the fight. Well that’s going to take you about 7-10 days at the area of the fight. Studies show that within 3-7 days at the lower altitude your body starts to adapt and you have lost your physical advantage ( mental advantage may be something else).

The other thing you might consider which is unethical in my book as well as with most athletic commissions is blood doping. You can take an injection of EPO or you can have your blood pulled out in advance ( red blood cells get separated out of the blood and re-injected closer to the fight). We all see the tests that commission gives to examine blood for increased EPO or even check the red blood cell percentage with usually anything over 55% red blood cells/ 45% plasma being questioned.

So, you can keep training at altitudes if it gives you a mental advantage. The science shows it will not affect you physically. It may even cause some set backs in your training. You can inject the EPO or blood dope ( a la Mosely) if you think you won’t get caught. The only way I see altitude training working is if you’re fighting at a high level and train at the high level or if you’re going  to come off the mountain only for the weigh in and fight. Just remember,the thicker your blood the more possibilities of high blood pressure, heart attack, or even a deep vein thromboses. Hope this helps clear some of the stigma of altitude training.

Dr. Pietro Baio DC
Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.
7112 Ave U
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(917)-309-5464
DrBaio@PEChiro.com
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