Components Of Physical Training
Physical training comprises of three things:
- Training your body
- Arranging for the right equipment
- Creating a daily routine – it includes food and fluid intake, supplements, pulse oximeter readings, and learning about the symptoms of altitude sickness and the ways to handle them.
When you start your physical training for any high altitude sport, you should have only one thing in mind – to maximize your success rate. The training program has various stages. These are:
- Building the foundation
- Power training – e.g: step ups, squats, lunges
- Increasing your anaerobic threshold level or aerobic capacity
- Cardiovascular power endurance – e.g: climbing hills with pack weight, mountain biking, hypoxic swims.
- Cardiovascular as well as muscular endurance extensive training – this includes increasing maximum endurance power with moderate physical output, peaking, tapering and rest. E.g: 10+ mile hikes, distance running, cycling.
Diet At Altitude
One good news here – you’re gonna lose weight at altitude! Almost everyone loses body fat as well as lean tissue due to 15-50 percent increase in energy requirements. This is accompanied with appetite loss. It’s recommended to take up to 6,000 calories (this comprises 400 grams of carbs) daily to combat high altitude.
There’s also loss of water from the lungs because of exposure to cold, dry air, body exertion, and diuretic effects of height.
