the idiocy of the "altitude training mask"

 

So you want to take your training to the next level right?  You’ve been searching all over the Internet for your altitude mask.  You even paid double shipping, because you are so motivated to realize your full potential, right?! Well I am going to steal that moment from you. I will explain why you’re not motivated; you’re an idiot.  Before I do that we digress to the science behind hypoxic conditions.

Hypoxic training is something that CAN be effective.  The idea is that when oxygen (o2) saturation decreases, your ph levels drop.  This is called respiratory acidosis.  The increase in carbon dioxide (Co2) stimulates the demand for oxygen and over time, will cause increased red blood cells and increased affinity for hemoglobin saturation.  This is about as dummed down as it can get but look into the Bohr effect if you are interested in learning more.  In order to create this environment all things must remain the same, except for 02 sat in the air.  There are credible studies that show a correlation as well as studies that show no training effect, yet all of the studies agree in the “sleep high train low” theory.  What this means is that it takes time to develop the effect more then exertion.  Sleeping for 8 hours w/ low 02 sats will stimulate a greater response than running a marathon w/ low 02. Conversely performance levels will plummet with low 02 sats because of the negative effects of acidosis (which is not a desirable training environment).

As a climber, I have climbed to altitudes of 22000 feet above sea level.  When you get here you understand hypoxia and its effect.  You can hardly tie your shoelaces without feeling exhausted, you can’t think clearly, your head aches, your body hurts, and you lose your ability to repair tissue.  It’s not a good place to be, it’s kind of horrible actually.

But...

When you come back to sea level, you feel amazing because you have more red blood cells, and greater affinity to bind hemoglobin.  That lasts about a week or so.  So you have spent a month in miserable conditions, beat up your body, to net a week improvement in performance.

Hypoxicators are machines that decrease the 02 sats in the air you breathe, but do not affect flow rate.  This means you breathe the same volume of air, just with less oxygen.  The most successful application of the hypoxicator is the “sleep high train low” philosophy.  You essentially sleep in a tent, which has low 02 sat but no net change in volume.  Athletes have begun using Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) as a tool to improve performance.  IHT is a process by which you breath low 02-sat air for intermittent periods followed by breathing room air.   The periods vary and there are no standardized protocols for IHT, however, all of research shows that sp02 needs to be measured throughout the session and the dosage needs to be multiple sessions over the course of 4-8weeks.   With that said, there is no credible evidence to confirm or deny IHT’s effectiveness.

If we simple stopped there and assumed your $80.00 training masked effectively simulated the same environment, we could conclude that you would have to wear your “altitude mask” 8 hours a day, for 90 days just to have the any significant effect, and said effect would be for about 1 week tops.  If you decided to give IHT a try, you wouldn’t be swinging kettlebells around or chaotically yanking on ropes with said mask; you would be sitting on a chair measuring your sp02, and exercising during the room air phase.  You would do that 3-4 days a week for about 2 months

And now for the clincher, training masks claim to be devices that simulate altitude, which is simply not true.  At altitude there is less oxygen saturation in the air, but there is not less air.  Your “altitude” mask doesn’t decrease your 02 saturation; it decreases your total air intake or inspiratory reserve volume (IRV).  The less air you can get in, the less air you can push out, which increases the amount of dead air in your lungs known as expiratory reserve volume (ERV).  If your ERV is greater when you inhale, you have less space for fresh air IRV. Additionally, your mask makes it harder to pull in the small amount of IRV you limited by the increased ERV.  I will simplify it.  It is essentially like working out with a boa constrictor around your lungs.  Every time you exhale, it clamps down even tighter. 

So what will your mask actually do for you? It will improve your ability to train with a mask on, not with it off. It may increase your ability to sustain an attack from a boa constrictor, although arguably there are much better methods.  It will disrupt lung function not improve it.  It will stimulate the body’s need for red blood cells, but will not actually increase them.  It will generate revenue for the manufacturer and retailers.  And finally, it will make you look like an idiot to anyone who has a university level education in any branch of anatomy and physiology. You don’t purchase short cut devices unless you are looking for short cuts.  My guess is if you are using a mask, you have not experienced the amazing results that pure hard work will yield.  Drop the mask, and lift some weights. The exercises that aren't good for you because (insert your list of logical reasons here).  You know, the stuff you’ve been avoiding while shopping for your mask, and dreaming of what you will become once you have this secret weapon.