Physiological Responses to Exercise at Altitude

Robert S. Mazzeo

Studies performed over the past decade have yielded new information related to the physiological and metabolic adjustments made in response to both short- and long-term high-altitude exposure. These investigations have examined the potential mechanisms responsible for the alterations observed in such key variables as heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, muscle blood flow, substrate utilization and mitochondrial function, both at rest and during exercise of varying intensities. Additionally, the occurrence and mechanisms related to the 'lactate paradox' continues to intrigue investigators. It is apparent that exposure to high altitude is an environmental stressor that elicits a robust sympathoadrenal response that contributes to many of the critical adjustments and adaptations mentioned above. Furthermore, as some of these important physiological adaptations are known to enhance performance, it has become popular to incorporate an aspect of altitude living/training into the training regimens of endurance athletes (e.g. 'live high-train low'). Finally, it is important to note that many factors influence the extent to which individuals adjust and adapt to the stress imposed by exposure to high altitude. Included among these are (i) the degree of hypoxia; (ii) the duration of exposure to hypoxic conditions; (iii) the exercise intensity (absolute vs relative workload); and (iv) the inter-individual variability in adapting to hypoxic environments ('responders' vs 'non-responders').