Freediving in altitude and living at sea level
might be the key.
I read some research which states that:
"High intensity training in hypoxia further results in an increase of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA, capillarity and myoglobin mRNA. These results suggest that hypoxia training results in improvements of the oxygen transfer capacity in skeletal muscle tissue. They thus offer a plausible explanation for the observation that effects of hypoxia training in athletes can best be demonstrated when performance tests are carried out in hypoxia. Beneficial effects of "training high - living low" for sea level performance of athletes can be inferred from the structural changes observed in muscle tissue;
however, the functional improvements remain to be demonstrated directly"
(Hypoxia training for sea-level performance - Training high - living low
Hoppeler H, Vogt M
HYPOXIA: FROM GENES TO THE BEDSIDE
ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
502: 61-73 2001)
The second article states that:
"Myoglobin, a protein with an important role in muscle oxidative metabolism, is increased in high altitude residents... We therefore tested the hypotheses that myoglobin allele frequencies differed in Tibetans, a long-resident human high-altitude population, compared with sea-level residents, and varied in relation to altitude among Tibetans. We obtained the sequence of exon 2 of the myoglobin gene in 146 Tibetans with greater than three generations of stable residence at altitude in rural Tibet. We compared the frequency of known polymorphic sites in this gene among Tibetans living at altitudes of 3000, 3700, and 4500 m and to allele frequencies previously obtained in 525 residents of Dallas, Texas. We also examined the association between different myoglobin genotypes and hemoglobin concentration, used as an index of myoglobin levels. The frequency of the myoglobin 79A allele was higher in the high altitude compared with the sea-level residents, but unchanged with increasing altitude among Tibetans..." (Analysis of the myoglobin gene in Tibetans living at high altitude
Moore LG, Zamudio S, Zhuang JG, Droma T, Shohet RV
HIGH ALTITUDE MEDICINE & BIOLOGY
3 (1): 39-47 SPR 2002)
It would be interesting training for a year in a freshwater lake (and of course right after training going to sea level again) in "Andes" and see any improvements.
Is anyone out there willing to sponsor a good looking and kind freediver?
Je, je.
Regards, gerard.