Does Altitude Matter?

For many years, the question of whether training or living at altitude helps an athlete has raged. It is clear that there is some short-term change in oxygen carrying capacity when an athlete lives at altitude. Most authorities feel that altitude reduces the athlete's ability to do high-level workouts, so, in the past several years, "altitude tents" have become popular.

I don't know precisely how these tents work, but they simulate altitude for those living at or near sea level. This means that someone who works in New York, for example, could effectively sleep at 5,000 feet or higher. Since there are no areas in commuting distance of New York where you could actually sleep at altitudes above 1500 feet (and 1200 feet is probably more realistic), it may help a New York athlete level the playing field relative to a Denver based athlete, who could potentially sleep at high altitude every night.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is apparently giving some thought to banning altitude tents, see this release from Race Results Weekly published on www.LetsRun.com. I was talking recently with a great runner from the past who was upset at this, and as I think about it, I don't believe it could be enforced. Any homeowner who cared to could readily weatherstrip a room or a few rooms to be able to pull a slight vacuum and thus simulate altitude. If they ban tents, where does it stop? Will they make athletes sleep with their windows open? It is a slippery slope, and in my mind, locally recreating a naturally existing condition mechanically IS NOT DOPING.