Altitude Training for Warriors by Mark Hatmaker

We’ve all heard the competitive wisdom that if one is going to fight at altitude, one needs to train at altitude. 


Is this advice correct?


We’ll come back to that in a moment, but first, let’s wade though a little science, touch on some myth-busting, do a little truth-telling and then finally settle on a hack that does, indeed, seem to do the job we set out to do by altitude training.


First, just why are we a bit out of breath as we increase elevation? 


As we increase elevation the air thins, and our lungs have to work harder to increase the amount of oxygen absorbed thru the surface layer of the lungs. 


This “thinning” has more to do with air-pressure then mere decreased oxygen availability at higher altitude. 


Just as with working underwater, just below the surface we feel very little pressure, but the deeper we descend the greater the pressure until the organism or diving device reaches crush-depth. The deeper we go, the greater the pressure.


On the surface of the earth at sea level, we sit on the bottom of an ocean of air and experience the pressure as 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch [psi.] Like terrestrial angler fish, we live in this “crushing” air pressure and thrive in it. As we ascend the ocean of air, the pressure decreases and the tightly compacted mixture of ingredients we use to respirate become less densely “packed” and our lungs work harder to obtain that which is normally “crushed” into our lungs on a daily basis.

Just as with ocean-dwelling creatures, those that adapt to different depths [aquatic or atmospheric depths] evolved adaptive responses to deal with the niche pressures. 

Increase or decrease the pressure of water or atmosphere by a little and adaptation takes place. Increase the + or – by too much and you will kill that organism.


So, let’s say we have a fight scheduled in Denver, Colorado [Elevation of 5,280 feet, which is exactly one-mile, hence the name “The Mile High City”] or that we know that we have combative operations to conduct in the mountains of Kandahar [which we’ll ballpark around 3300 feet.] Is it wise to train at a matching elevation to increase our chances of conducting ourselves with our usual sea-level prowess?


Yes, but…it is no guarantee and there are a few caveats.


First, the acclimatization process can take a 10-days to 2 weeks, so showing up a few days before combat hoping for conferred benefit shan’t do the job.


We can become adapted to altitude, but it requires time. The adaptation mechanism is the decreased oxygen triggering the production of more red blood cells to absorb what oxygen is present at the given altitude. [Keep that process in mind, as we will be coming back to that.]


But even with acclimatization, around 40% of people will experience some form of altitude sickness above 4,000 meters. Conditioning is not a predictor. 


Experienced climbers who have never suffered effects can be struck out of the blue. I myself, no experienced climber, have ventured into altitude many times with no ill effect, except the one time I did. I won’t forget it. Never happened before, has never happened since, but it is always on the table for those who were not born to altitude.

Increased sea-level conditioning does improve performance at altitude. As altitude increases, work capacity decreases. At an altitude of 7,000 meters human work capacity drops to 40% of output and sharply drops from there as altitude increases. 

Experienced climbers have recorded taking 30 minutes to cover 100 yards. 


In short, if your conditioning leaves you breathless with slight tasks at your standard altitude and you are contemplating altitude activities, you’d better get on the training stick.


So, again…does training at altitude improve our performance?


Three Things to Keep in Mind


One-I repeat, the adaptation process takes time. 


Two-The adaptation is altitude-specific, that is, athletes training at altitude assuming they will have superior oxygen uptake at lower altitudes thusly increasing performance will not work. Training at altitude is wise if your competition will be at the given altitude, but it confers no benefit at sea-level battlegrounds. If this were true, we would expect to see more mountaineers and Sherpas crushing marathons. 


Three-There is a side-effect of altitude adaptation, the adaptive increase of red blood cells also fosters an increased viscosity of the blood itself. This viscosity requires more energy for the heart to pump the sludgy mass [the hematocrit, or packed cell volume] throughout the body. With that in mind, increased adaptation to altitude does not necessarily lead to overall increased performance. Yes, we will absorb oxygen better after adaptation, but the heart’s increased work rate with the hematocrit does not necessarily keep apace.


Even denizens of high-altitude regions can suffer the effects of altitude sickness which is often due to elevated hematocrit. Signs of this can occasionally be found in blue lips and nailbeds as red blood cells sludge the capillaries reducing blood flow rate. 


So, with adaptation, we may breathe better at altitude, but it does not mean our work rates are commensurately improving.


Although one can adapt to altitude over time you can never match those raised in altitude, particularly several generations of mountain inhabitants. Adaptations such as barrel-chestedness to accommodate larger lungs, larger hearts to pump thicker blood and more capillary branches to oxygenate distant tissues.


Another factor that can affect how well or poorly we perform on a given day at altitude—barometric pressure.


High pressure is more favorable as the higher air pressure compacts the atmosphere increasing the volume of oxygen we intake with each breath. Low pressure works against us.


It is surmised that the stalwart individuals who make ascents sans oxygen are able to do so because of trekking on good weather days [days with high pressure] whereas low-pressure fronts contribute to higher instances of altitude sickness.


To gather an idea of just how much high pressure there is on good weather days, consider this—the water levels of large bodies of water at sea-level [lakes, ponds, slow-moving rivers] can be read as lower during a spate of good weather [high pressure days.] The high pressure pushes on the water itself causing increased capillary action in the soil along the water’s edge. The height difference can be as much as 3-8 inches.


Some indigenous peoples note poor weather coming days in advance by noticing rising water levels in advance of clouds that signify.


High-Pressure/Good Weather = Better Odds on Altitude Performance.


So, a simple altitude hack is bunch your altitude trips or hard work around high pressure days. 


But combat is not always a fair-weather endeavor. 


So, are we out of luck with altitude training? 


There is an altitude hack that comes from the tradition of many indigenous peoples of mountainous regions as they move from a standard elevation to work in a higher elevation and that hack is “over-breathing.”


“Over-breathing” sounds and looks very much like “out of shape” huffing and puffing, in some instances it appears to be fervid hyperventilation.



Any of us who has played at altitude knows that when we get out of breath, there is a tendency to play it cool and try to compensate by “getting control of our respiration” and calm ourselves to our normal rate at sea-level. This is the opposite of the indigenous wisdom.


Is there scientific backing for this over-breathing practice?


Well, consider this, there is an altitude-sickness drug called Diamox, which is to be taken before working in altitude, just as one would take Dramamine pre-nausea, before getting aboard sailing craft or small plane.


What is Diamox’s method of protection?


It increases passive respiration.


So, in summary to hack altitude.

·        Increase conditioning at whatever altitude you train.

·        If one must work at a new altitude, allow time for potential acclimatization.

·        Hope for fair weather.

·        And start huffing and puffing before you need to huff and puff.

[For techniques, tactics, and strategies of Rough and Tumble Combat & Indigenous Ability culled from the historical record see the RAW/Black Box Subscription Service.]