heart rate at altitude

Hi,

A friend asked me a question, and I was confused by it so I thought
I'd throw it out to the group for your input.

He and his wife live in Colorado Springs (altitude 7k? or so). They
both skate ski with the main race being the American Birkebeiner each
year. This year they started watching their heart rates more closely
with the aid of a HRM while they've started their early season
training.

The on-snow training that they do is in Breckenridge (altitude 10k),
however, they roller ski both in Colorado Springs and Breckenridge
when there is no snow.

The have been finding that, even though their roller skiing perceived
exertion at the higher altitude in Breckenridge is higher, their
threshold heart rate is lower. Doesn't it stand to reason that their
heart rates should go up at altitude instead of down at the same
perceived exertion due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen? Or do
the muscles fatigue out due to the lower oxygen and the heart rate
never has a chance to get up to the higher level?

Thoughts? Has anyone else experienced something like this?

Brian

(Brian Pauley) wrote in message . com...

heart rates should go up at altitude instead of down at the same
perceived exertion due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen? Or do

The way I understand it is that, in theory, heart rate and
respiratory rate should go up with altitude IF
you have a "good" response to altitude. If you have a "poor"
response to altutude, you won't see an increase
in heart rate and respiraotry rate, and you will be more likely
to suffer altitude sickeness. That is the theory anyway. I don't
know if it matters so much for skiers as for mountain climbers, and
I'm sure the real situation is much more complicated when you
consider many variables like longer term conditioning and
physical fitness.

There was a documentary about this on TV recently, and one
(novice) climber in this show who had a "poor"
response (no increase in heart/breathing rate) suffered
a potentially fatal form of altitude sickness and had to be
choppered off the mountain. The documentary was
about a study of altitude adaptation, with the goal of
finding characteristics that could clearly predict
altitude sickness before a climber starts off, and potentially
save a few lives. Well, the findings were not entirely
conclusive. Unfortunately, they almost killed one of their
"guinea pigs". But it left an impression on me. Luckily
we don't have to worry too much about these things in
Minnesota.

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In article ,
Brian Pauley wrote:
Hi,

A friend asked me a question, and I was confused by it so I thought
I'd throw it out to the group for your input.


The on-snow training that they do is in Breckenridge (altitude 10k),
however, they roller ski both in Colorado Springs and Breckenridge
when there is no snow.

The have been finding that, even though their roller skiing perceived
exertion at the higher altitude in Breckenridge is higher, their
threshold heart rate is lower. Doesn't it stand to reason that their
heart rates should go up at altitude instead of down at the same
perceived exertion due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen?

_ The standard wisdom on heart rate and altitude is that your
maximum decreases and your minimum increases with altitude until
you reach a point where all you can do is sit still and die from
exposure.

Or do
the muscles fatigue out due to the lower oxygen and the heart rate
never has a chance to get up to the higher level?


_ Well, you're forgetting the heart is a muscle as well and
needs O2. It can't go as fast as it can at lower altitudes.
Percieved exertion is also a very fuzzy measuring stick,
when it comes to rapid changes in altitude.

Thoughts? Has anyone else experienced something like this?


_ What they are seeing is exactly what the science and research
would expect. My own experience in going from sea level to 8-10K
feet in the same day has been all over the place.

_ Booker C. Bense


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