What is hypoxy?

Why do athletes train in high altitudes?

Because the thinner air at higher altitudes stimulates the body to produce more red blood cells, and lots of red blood cells means its easier to keep the muscles supplied with oxygen. With more red blood cells in their bodies they can work harder in the richer atmosphere at lower altitudes w/o running out of breath. Training in altitude increases the performances of the athlets. The lack of oxygen (hypoxy) forces the body to create more red corpuscle in order to the keep the oxygenation at the same level. At the beggining, the breathing will be faster causing a increasing base-acid balance of blood. After having acclimated the body to the hypoxy conditions, the athlets will ,after few days, have their breathing rate lowering, blood acidity raising and heart rate decreasing. Once back on low altitude, the body will keep this higher oxygenation. Muscles activity will be more efficient and recovery will be shorten. However, take care. Athlets respect a strict process because it can be dangerous.