Our High-Altitude Training Camps

About High-Altitude Training Camps

Training at high altitude – usually between approx. 1’700 and 3’000 meters above sea level – is like legal doping, thanks to its ability to boost oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Most coaches recommend spending at least two weeks at this altitude, but it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition: even if you’ve got only a week to spare, training in the mountains can trigger physical and mental benefits that may last for several weeks after you return to sea level. Attending a one-week camp, away from the demands of everyday life, with elite coaching and a rejuvenating change of scenery, could do a runner as much good as the altitude itself. Even short stints at altitude offer an advantage because the lack of oxygen makes the training feel harder. You can push hard and learn to tolerate greater discomfort without the added stress on your joints and muscles that would result from running faster or farther at sea level. Best of all, there is some evidence that non-elite athletes, who have lower levels of hemoglobin to start with, may experience an even a bigger and quicker boost than elite endurance athletes do.