Training at altitude has been called “natural doping” because it triggers the na
ID: 3483989 • Letter: T
Question
Training at altitude has been called “natural doping” because it triggers the natural production of erythropoeitin (EPO). Unfortunately, physiological responses to exercise and altitude may not be compatible with each other. Researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that if athletes live at high altitude, but train at low altitude they will have the benefits of both environments. List three variables that the researchers should measure to test their hypothesis. Why are these variables relevant and what results would support their hypothesis?
Explanation / Answer
High altitude training is known to have a physiological response of increased adrenergic activity, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), even in resting conditions.High altitude training exposes the body to adapt to the lower level of oxygen availability in the atmosphere. The body naturally produces erythropoietin (EPO) which stimulates the production of red blood cells (RBC).Theoretically, it is believed that more RBC improves better oxygen delivery to the muscles, in turn leading to better performance.
Due to increased Heart Rate, blood pumps a lot faster leading to higher blood pressure, as a result, the hemoglobin in the red blood cells doesn't have enough time to get fully saturated with oxygen, because of low oxygen availability. This limits the training to train harder.
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