Benefits of Altitude

Whatever the altitude, the proportion of the different gases that make up air remain the same - just under 21% oxygen, 78% Nitrogen and 1% trace gases. What does change at altitude is the air density. This means that the higher the altitude, the fewer oxygen molecules there are in a given volume of air. This in turn means that there are fewer oxygen molecules to be transferred into the bloodstream via the lungs.

The well-documented physiological effects of altitude, cited by Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, include:

• Increased natural hormone erythropoietin (EPO) production, which in turn increases red blood cell mass for delivering oxygen to muscle cells and converting it into energy.
• A boost in total blood volume to move oxygen more efficiently through your bloodstream.
• An increase in V02 max-the maximum amount of oxygen the body can convert to work, giving you more stamina for the long haul.
• Cranked-up hematocrit levels to provide a greater percentage of cells carrying oxygen.
• Elevated capillary volume, creating more blood pathways to muscle cells for improved muscle oxygenation.
• A higher volume of mitochondria--the powerhouses in cells that help your body turn oxygen into energy.
• An increase in the lungs' ability to exchange gases efficiently - so that every breath you take more oxygen gets into the bloodstream.