Hypoxic tent / high altitudes training

[rbsub]

Hi,

I found this (old) article (year 2001):
Athletes Sleep Into Thin Air

Do you think that these kind of tents can have an advantage for breathholding?

Or what about spending some time at high altitudes? If I would spend 4 weeks at 3500m - would this be good or bad for my breathholding performance?

[naiad]

There have been several discussions about altitude/hypoxic training here - do a search for 'altitude'.

[rbsub]

Originally Posted by naiad

There have been several discussions about altitude/hypoxic training here - do a search for 'altitude'.

I did a search (more that 100 threads with "altitude") and I did a search with "hypoxic tent" but I didn't found enough informations. Do you know a certain thread?

There are more and more fitness centers with such hypoxic chambers. Is it worth to try it? (There is no such center in the near of me).

[perow1]

I think it might be somewhat beneficial, but nothing close to a thorough apnea training. If you train (and rest) well you will see results. Taking the way through a hypoxic tent will either be for the athlete that has pinpointed every little detail in the training and wants to get a little extra or for the lazy athlete that do not want to train properly.

The reason for using this high altitude training would to boost your boold and I beleive that can bee achieved with apnea training. What apnea training gives you that sleeping in a tent wont is time in water and specificity. A high Hb value alone will not give you great results.

[naiad]

There are some articles about it here.
Get High and Get On Down ! Part I by Richard Pullan on DeeperBlue.net - Fanatical About FreeDiving, Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Technical Diving
Get High and Get On Down ! Part II by Richard Pullan on DeeperBlue.net - Fanatical About FreeDiving, Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Technical Diving

As perow1 says, I don't think anyone has achieved great results with it, as there are many factors in apnea training.

[rbsub]

Originally Posted by naiad

There are some articles about it here.
Get High and Get On Down ! Part I by Richard Pullan on DeeperBlue.net - Fanatical About FreeDiving, Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Technical Diving
Get High and Get On Down ! Part II by Richard Pullan on DeeperBlue.net - Fanatical About FreeDiving, Scuba Diving, Spearfishing & Technical Diving

As perow1 says, I don't think anyone has achieved great results with it, as there are many factors in apnea training.

That remembers me that Deeperblue is made up of more then just the forum .

But it sounds interessting (from this article):

"More then 350 world-class athletes throughout the world are now using Intermittent Hypoxic Training and are seeing excellent gains in performance. Top freedivers Mandy-Rae Cruikshank and Ant Williams are amongst these top athletes who now incorporate IHT into their training routine."

So I think it can't be so bad. But I ask myself whether it's significant. In the fitness center I mentioned the training is especially for cyclists.

[jome]

I would agree with Per that unless you're someone who's training very very hard (and not only hard, but wise) and has reached a serious plateau, the time, effort and money that would go into IHT would probably be better invested in other areas. I mean if you just analyze coldly "what gives me the biggest performance gain for the invested effort". There is lot's and lot's of things training, technique, experience etc vise - even investing on better equipment - that might give you an increase of tens of %.

What a hypoxicator may be able to provide is the top few percent - important for a WR level athlete, but the average diver won't even feel the difference. And if you do it wrong, it can even take you backwards (the stress on the body generated by overdoing IHT can be too much if you don't know how to do it just right so you ensure also proper recovery).

But for someone who just likes gadgets and wants to tinker around - knock your self out. Just please be careful, those things can be really dangerous.

I've no personal experience, but the one person that I know who has tired it has his hypoxicator gathering dust in the closet currently...

[island_sands]

During my PFI course Mandy-Rae Cruickshank mentioned she slept in a hypoxic tent. You can contact her through Performance Freediving | home |

[BennyB]

Originally Posted by island_sands

During my PFI course Mandy-Rae Cruickshank mentioned she slept in a hypoxic tent.

Never, ever EVER do anything that you know was once done by Michael Jackson....

[rbsub]

Originally Posted by BennyB

Never, ever EVER do anything that you know was once done by Michael Jackson....

Wasn't that an oxygen tent?

BTW, there is one thing I want to mention: I'm fare away from the state that I'm in the need of enhance my performances in such a way.

I'm only interessted in this things. 3 years ago I spent 3 weeks trekking in Ladakh at 3500 m and higher. It's a pity that I wasn't a freediver at that time and didn't make any experiences concerning breathholds at high altidudes. Perhaps it's time to go again - but I think that there's no lake to dive in.

[Pastor]

Originally Posted by rbsub

Wasn't that an oxygen tent?

I thought it was a bucket of bleach?

[naiad]

Originally Posted by jome

But for someone who just likes gadgets and wants to tinker around - knock your self out. Just please be careful, those things can be really dangerous.

I don't know anything about hypoxicators, but isn't there a risk of 'altitude sickness'? Also of blacking out if the O2 is set too low, or if the hypoxicator malfunctions.

[island_sands]

I was thinking of long term low oxygen exposure (especially when you sleep) may equal brain damage in the long term?

[trux]

Originally Posted by island_sands

I was thinking of long term low oxygen exposure (especially when you sleep) may equal brain damage in the long term?

Are you trying to tell that all Tibetians (and other people living in high altitudes, perhaps the entire Mexico City too) are brain damaged? I am not sure they would be happy to hear it

[island_sands]

Originally Posted by trux

Are you trying to tell that all Tibetians (and other people living in high altitudes, perhaps the entire Mexico City too) are brain damaged? I am not sure they would be happy to hear it

No, I am saying/suggesting that sleeping in a hypoxic tent may have long term side effects. Depends I suppose if the percentages of oxygen in the tent, and those of the high altitudes are the same. Wasnt it discovered that the high altitude dwellers had a higher concentrate of nitric oxide in the blood? Their bodies have adapted to such living.

Key To High Altitude Function For Tibetans Is Elevated Nitric Oxide In Blood
http://ep.physoc.org/cgi/reprint/89/5/565.pdf
SpringerLink - Book Chapter