Decreased power at altitude

[anneslam]

Hi
I am currently at altitude so I can adapt for Tour of the Gila which is raced at altitude. I took it easy for 5 days before I tested myself today with an FTP effort for just over 18mins up a climb. The effort felt like it was close to an all out TT pace and when I downloaded the PT afterwards I saw that I was in fact just below my FTP! Definitely low power for the perceived effort.

I realize that this is normal in adapting to altitude which is why the LHTL (live high train low) method is the best way to train for altitude so you do not in fact de-train. My question is will I improve my power output the longer I stay at altitude? Or is everyone constantly putting out low power while at altitude (this does not make sense or why would so many pro riders be living in Colorado?). If I can hope to reach sea level power outputs here what is the normal time span on average for most people?

I am here 2 weeks, and I hope that I can get at least one vo2 max interval session in but I am afraid that I will not be reaching the correct wattage to train that zone. I know I will be ok for racing Gila but my main concern is de-training over the 3 weeks I will be at altitude (2 weeks here and 1 at Silver City,NM) since I head to Europe for a hard stage race 2 weeks following Gila. If I cannot race Gila with high power numbers it seems not a very smart race to do for prep?

Does anyone have any input/answers on this?

thanks
-anne

 

[jbvcoaching]

Several points:

1) This is an excellent book on the subject for endurance athletes, and a professional like you ought to have it in their library for reference:
http://humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=0736001573

2) If you're only going to be at altitude for 2-4 weeks, and you're going to be doing some hard efforts (i.e. - racing), then I would not worry about the detraining effect too much. That is, I think it's unlikely you're going to lose muscle mass in that short a time period.

3) I'd go ahead and do the VO2 Workout, either drop the power to what it takes to get them done, or consider shortening the intervals and doing them at your sea level VO2 interval power. In other words, say you were doing 5 minute intervals at 275-300W, either do the 5's at 245 - 270W, or do 3's (but close to the same total work) at 275-300W.

Doing the 3's will put them more into level 6 (AWC), but if you're concerned about your legs being at that power level...then they are your answer.

4) Colorado riders who are concerned about this will typically either do supplemental oxygen workouts (BCSM is like a parade of who's who in Boulder), or they'll ride their tempo rides at a deliberately lowish cadence in order to simulate the force requirements of sea level (if not the power). The former technique can be risky, depending on what concentration of O2 you use, you can really rip yourself up to the point where you need a week to recovery from a 90 minute workout! The latter is a safer, cheaper, more convenient technique...but I'm not aware of any true studies validating it's efficacy.

I'm sure you've seen these tables of power loss at altitude, but here's the link anyway:
http://midweekclub.ca/powerFAQ.htm#Q17

See you in Silver City.

 

[anneslam]

Thanks for the info!

I will try shortening the Vo2 max efforts and see how that goes.

I am looking for that book and definitely will buy it as I am interested in learning more about power at altitude. IMO everyone is different and I would imagine that some would be able, after time, to reach their sea level power or very close to it.

I have many more questions but I will read that book first.....

Thanks again.

-anne

 

[alfeng]

I am currently at altitude so I can adapt for Tour of the Gila which is raced at altitude. I took it easy for 5 days before I tested myself today with an FTP effort for just over 18mins up a climb. The effort felt like it was close to an all out TT pace and when I downloaded the PT afterwards I saw that I was in fact just below my FTP! Definitely low power for the perceived effort.

I realize that this is normal in adapting to altitude which is why the LHTL (live high train low) method is the best way to train for altitude so you do not in fact de-train. My question is will I improve my power output the longer I stay at altitude? Or is everyone constantly putting out low power while at altitude (this does not make sense or why would so many pro riders be living in Colorado?). If I can hope to reach sea level power outputs here what is the normal time span on average for most people?

I am here 2 weeks, and I hope that I can get at least one vo2 max interval session in but I am afraid that I will not be reaching the correct wattage to train that zone. I know I will be ok for racing Gila but my main concern is de-training over the 3 weeks I will be at altitude (2 weeks here and 1 at Silver City,NM) since I head to Europe for a hard stage race 2 weeks following Gila. If I cannot race Gila with high power numbers it seems not a very smart race to do for prep?

Does anyone have any input/answers on this?

FWIW. When I used to live at about 600 feet elevation & knew that I was going backcountry (hiking trips at 5000 feet or, higher), I would spend about a half-hour each day running ~50 yard wind sprints (hard wind sprints vs. what I've seen many people consider to be wind sprints) on the infield of the "local" 440 yard track during the two-or-three weeks that preceded my trip.

My theory was that I was opening up my lungs MORE than they already were by inducing pseudo-hypoxia with ongoing aerobic stress ...

If that makes sense, then do whatever you can do in about a half-hour ... maybe a little MORE, if you can, but taper off as the race approaches. Do your training miles as soon AFTER doing the wind sprints.

I can't say whether or not it actually helped ... it helped, psychologically, knowing that I did all I could do to prepare under the circumstances.

Since you are already at altitude, ~40 yards is probably a long enough, target distance ...