Does running at 5500 feet affect preformance?

Question

I have just moved to Golden Co from Orlando and am having real problems running at the level I'm used. Could altitude be a factor or am I just getting soft?

Answer 1

yea, a change to a higher altitude will make breathing harder and running harder overall. You will adjust to it in time and if you run/race at normal altitude you it will be easier then before. Some elite athletes train at a higher altitude then they race at to take advantage of this.

Answer 2

You are not getting soft.  The partial pressure of oxygen in high altitudes is reduced compared to Orlando.  What is cool is that by training in higher altitudes, you will increase the number of red blood cells in your body.  This will increase your efficiency in getting oxygen to your cells.  Once you compete or run at lower elevations it should be much easier. This effect is short term so if you move back to Orlando, your body will naturally reduce the hemoglobin and red blood cell counts within a couple of weeks.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Ahtletes do altitude training to improve their performance, but what they do is live at high altitude and train at low altitude. This way you will gain the benefits of the lack of O2 at high altitude. Your Blood will become more efficient at carrying O2 around your body.

Answer 4

In a way, you're at an advantage. Yes, elevation gain does affect performance tho' in this case, I've seen only a slight decrease in my times: Ex: At Albequerque, the Sandia Mts are@ 10k feet, higher than Denver. We started a halfie @ 5000 ft but it didn't decrease the overall time  much.

We live @ sea level. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Ya it would definately be a factor for that type of elevation gain.  i would take it easy for a week or so