How to acclimate your body to higher altitude?

Question

I like to run sprints and mid-distance. I just moved to a higher altitude two months ago, but am having trouble getting acclimated. It's hard for me to breath when I run.

Tips or advice welcome.

Thanks!

Answer 1

If you live at a higher altitude now you should eventually get your endurance back. At higher altitudes there is less air pressure and therefor less condensed oxygen molecules in the air. Your body compensates by producing more red blood cells to more efficiently absorb the oxygen molecules from the air. After some time at the higher altitude your body should acclimate. Climbers that climb Mount Everest go through a series of acclimation steps to help their bodies when climbing. On mount everest they have several base camps at different altitudes on the mountains. Climbers will climb to a higher base camp in the morning and then climb back down at night. After several trips up and down the from one base camp to another, they will proceed to do the same thing at the next higher base camp, doing this gives their body more time to produce the red blood cells that the body requires in order to survive at the higher altitude... if that makes sense. It will take some time for your body to adjust to the higher altitude but you can also speed up the process by spending time in a higher altitude than that which you run or by just pushing yourself at where you are at right now. Professional endurance runners will train at higher altitudes so their bodies will better absorb the more condensed oxygen at the lower altitudes that their competitions take place.

Good luck!!