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High Altitude Training for Mountain Biking

I came across this interesting article that discusses training at high altitudes, around 7000-9000 ft.  I don’t know who the person is that wrote the piece or what credentials she has, but it’s still interesting.

I live at 9200 ft, and I train high, and live high.  I’ve been doing this for almost 5 years now.  I do find it easier to ride when down at 5000-6000 ft, I know that my training at higher elevation does make me stronger.   A few things I’ve learned about training and living at high altitudes.

  • it takes longer to recover after longer workouts.  take more time  to recover after 3-4 hr efforts or races.  I suggest at least one day,  or 2 if still feel sluggish after day 1
  • vitamins.  I found that taking 500 mg C, and 500ui E, help recover faster and keeps the free radicals away.  It’s always best to get your vitamin need from natural source.  I tend to have a hard time to get as much as I need from veggies and fruit, so I supplement.
  • it’s much harder to get a high heart rate at higher elevation.  do your LT test at the same elevation you train at so that you can have a base line during your training bouts.
  • stay hydrated even when not training.  the air is drier at high altitudes and becoming dehydrated even when not training is easy.  your pee should ALWAYS be a straw color to clear.

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