StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

How Altitude Effects Athletic Training - Research Proposal Example

Summary
"How Altitude Effects Athletic Training" paper argues that high altitude training results in chemical changes in the red blood cells, which make them more efficient in carrying and unloading oxygen to the tissues. Finally, there is an increase in the number of mitochondria and oxidative enzymes…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.4% of users find it useful
How Altitude Effects Athletic Training
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "How Altitude Effects Athletic Training"

Introduction Topic Overview In preparation for minor and major leagues and competitions, individual athletes and national teams use different approaches to training, to enhance their performance, endurance and agility among other traits of good sportsmanship. For instance, just before the June 2010 FIFA World Cup, most of the participating countries took their teams to different regions to train for acclimatization purposes. The notable countries that trained for acclimatization were the English and USA teams. Whereas the English team decided to train at the Australian Alps, the US team opted not to adjust their bodies to the higher altitudes of South Africa, which hosted the tournament. Although neither of the teams won the World Cup and both were eliminated at the same level, research has shown that moderate high-altitude training is the best for optimal performance by athletes and other sportsmen. Most of the researches done on the effects of altitude training on the performance of athletes cite several reasons to support the stance that high altitude training improves performance. The main reason cited for the positive effects of high altitude training on athletes’ performance is that of thinner air at high altitude areas. That is, there are fewer oxygen molecules in high altitudes, which imply that the volume of oxygen inhaled at such heights is less than that required by muscles (Bigard et al., 1991). Notably, this effect of high altitude training is most impressive at altitudes greater than 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) above sea level. However, the effects are observed even at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above sea level (Ward-Smith, 1983). The body then initiates mechanisms by which the decrease in oxygen supply to the muscles is compensated. This mechanism involves the functioning of hormone erythropoietin (EPO). EPO activates the production of more red blood cells to help in the delivery of oxygen to body muscles (Brugniaux et al., 2006). It is due to this use of EPO that sportsmen and organisations use it as a performance-enhancing substance, in a synthetic form (Prchal & Pastore, 2004). Basically, the synthetic form of EPO emulates the natural process of red blood creation used by the natural erythropoietin (Ward-Smith, 1983). Regrettably, instead of training in high-altitude areas such as mountains, most sports organisations and individual athletes have resolved to focus more on the artificial EPO instead of triggering the natural synthesis of red blood cell by the natural EPO. To reap the benefits of high altitude training, athletes should take a few days training at high-altitude areas for the body to produce extra red blood cells before competing at lower elevation levels (Muza et al., 2004). The changed physiology should last about 10-20 days during which the competition should have taken place. Whereas quite a lot of studies on the benefits of high-altitude training to athletes have been conducted, information on how to best carry out this type of training is not exhaustive and eludes many studies. In other words, although it is accepted that the increased capacity to deliver oxygen to muscles is a benefit of high-altitude training, it is not yet sufficiently clear the duration athletes should take training at altitude and how high up athletes need to be so that they reap the optimal benefits (Muza et al., 2004). Problem Statement High altitude has several implications and effects on athletes’ training given the changes in the volume of oxygen in the air, compared to that of low altitudes (Levine & Stray-Gundersen, 2005). Hence, the training that athletes undergo under these different conditions have to differ. Whenever athletes change their training environment from a low altitude to a high altitude area, they are faced with quite a number challenges and problems (West, 1996). Individual athletes, their coaches, managers and other sporting professionals and organisations must apprehend and prevent, manage and control these challenges if athletes have to attain the right levels of endurance, agility, reliability and consistency in their performance (West, 1996). The main problem arising from high-altitude that affects athletes’ training is the reduced levels of oxygen compared to low or normal altitude areas (Levine & Stray-Gundersen, 200). Although these drops in the quantity of oxygen molecules in the atmosphere may not have serious implications for people at rest, the effects are rather profound on the training and the performance of athletes (Chapman & Levine, 2007). While adaptation is not important for athletes undertaking pure anaerobic exercises, endurance, training and competition calls for adaptation to the environment for optimal performance. Generally, higher altitudes correspond to longer adaptation periods (Ponsot et al., 2006). For smooth and healthy transition, it is of the essence that athletes and their coaches understand the process of adaptation to high altitude during training and the methods by which adaptation can be made less strenuous. High altitude causes several physiologic changes through which athletes acclimatize at high altitude, thus affecting their training. These physiological changes are broadly categorised as immediate or long term. While the former physiological changes occur over several days, the latter category of changes require several weeks to a few months to occur. One of these physiological effects of high altitude on athletes’ training regards the respiratory rate, which is characterised by sped up heart rates (Rodríguez et al., 2007). This increased heart rate is not only observed when an athlete is at rest but also during sub-max exercise. The consequence of this increased heart rate is the offsetting of the partial pressure of oxygen. An athlete would also not be in a position to attain the maximum oxygen volume because the increased breathing rate changes the acid-base balance, a process that takes a little longer time to correct (Rodríguez et al., 2007). Among the core long-term physiological changes occasioned by high altitude training is decrease in maximum cardiac output, a decreased maximum heart rate, a rise in the population of red blood cells, excretion of base through the kidneys to restore acid-base balance. However, the net consequence of this excretion of base via the kidney is a reduced tolerance for lactic acid (Rodríguez et al., 2007). Importantly, high altitude training results in chemical changes in the red blood cells, which make them more efficient in carrying and unloading oxygen to the tissues. Finally, there is an increase in the number of mitochondria and oxidative enzymes (Rodríguez et al., 2007). Read More

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF How Altitude Effects Athletic Training

Athletes versus Non-Athletes on Academic Performance

The present paper aims to explore the relationship between academic performances of the students at schools and their participation in sports and games.... The paper pays particular concentration upon athletics and their influence on their academic career as well as the grades they obtain.... .... ...
37 Pages (9250 words) Research Paper

Second-Impact Syndrome In High-School Athletics

In many cases, the stresses of intense athletic competition leads the public and medical professionals to finger cardiovascular causes as culprits in the acute onset of debilitating symptoms.... There exists a general assumption that athletic competition is in general healthy, and largely safe as a benchmark on the adolescent's journey to manhood, but even seemingly minor injuries carry a deceptive risk.... But the effects of this second impact may result in cerebral edema/swelling and herniation, creating a slow bleed within the skull....
40 Pages (10000 words) Research Paper

African americans in sports

Specifically, as the discussion relates to the impact of the athletic experience upon the progress of young, African American student- athletes.... Cautiousness about the current role of sport in the lives of the African American community continues to be voiced mainly through the limited amount of sport sociological literature addressing the subject of the African American athletic experience.... ?? According to Harris (In Brooks & Althouse, 47) the National Collegiate athletic...
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

Abolishing the use of pro-enhancement drugs in sports:

This therefore implies that athletes have to keep fit through rigorous training and being on well prescribed and consistent diet at all times.... This paper will examine the negative effects of using the pro- performance drugs and genetic doping in athletics with a view to oppose the idea based on the social, health and ethical side effects associated with the use of these drugs.... It is also worth recognizing that while some athletes get away with drug use, there are also cases of others ending up in jail while at the extreme points some die prematurely due to the effects of these drugs....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Deming's 14 Points of Management

By applying Deming's 14 points to athletics coaching, this article demonstrates how implementing these points lead to major changes in the industry, which include accreditation, training, and education as well as new philosophies.... Total Quality Management is a way of thinking and working in an organization and is not a prescriptive philosophy, as it guides how to approach quality in an organization....
15 Pages (3750 words) Essay

Advising and Counseling Student Athletes by Broughton and Neyer

It has given an idea how college sports went under the influence of corruption and how reform movements had started during the 1990s.... he authors Hamilton and Sina, (2001) in the article, 'how College Affects Student-Athletes' refers to the fact that colleges play an important role in the lives of the student-athletes and the concerned authorities should realize their responsibilities and direct their efforts towards the right direction....
12 Pages (3000 words) Article

Do Student-Athletes in College Look At Their Coaches As Parent Figure

This study is therefore aimed at establishing a qualitative justification through research study on whether the athletic students in colleges perceive their coaches as parents or not.... According to the discussion with many of research studies in the theme of relationship between a coach and the athletic students in schools focusing on the leadership attributes and the moral and ethical relations, few studies have focused on the acceptable mode of handling the athletes by the coaches....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Proposal

Food Hygiene and Nutrition in Sports

With this understanding, Carbohydrate electrolyte drinks have become common in training by athletes.... ost of the effort has been placed on matching nutrient requirements with either exercise or training, during competition and adaptation.... acro and micro-nutrients needs for athletes training requires energy from the body and this varies with the size of the body, the type of training, as well as growth requirements.... Consequently, during training, the body requires high levels of carbohydrates to increase the maintenance of blood-glucose balance (3)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us