Training in rare air
Exercise physiologist Scott Payne (right) is bringing mountain air down to the people of Cairns in the hope of encouraging healthier lifestyles. While he isn’t quite bottling air from the alps, he has set up an altitude training room at his business Complete Health and Fitness Solutions. “I went to Nepal three years ago and since coming back from there while playing sports and running I felt the benefit of altitude exposure,” he said.
EXERCISE physiologist Scott Payne is bringing mountain air down to the people of Cairns in the hope of encouraging healthier lifestyles.
While he isn’t quite bottling air from the alps, he has set up an altitude training room at his business Complete Health and Fitness Solutions.
“I went to Nepal three years ago and since coming back from there while playing sports and running I felt the benefit of altitude exposure,” he said.
“The benefits are being able to build up your aerobic capacity, but also your anaerobic capacity. That’s reducing your period of fatigue and being able to run faster for longer periods of time."
He explained that the altitude training room, which includes stationary bikes and a door with a heavy seal, works by altering the oxygen to nitrogen air ratio.
“It adds more nitrogen into the mix so there’s less oxygen available at that time. You just need a nicely sealed container to put it in to make sure outside air isn’t going to infiltrate the room,” he said.
Mr Payne said the difference in cardio training was extremely obvious inside the altitude training room.
“At 3500m you’ll feel your heartrate elevate a little bit and your oxygen saturation will drop a little bit, but you won’t be too out of breath. You can feel your lactic acid come on a bit faster too,” he said.
He said altitude training could be beneficial for a whole spectrum of people.
“A lot of Olympians are using altitude training as part of their preparation, maintenance and rehabilitation phases,” he said.
“You can use it for rehab, not just for Olympians, but for everyone. It allows you to maintain your resistance without having to maintain the same sorts of loads that you would do in normal training.
“Because the metabolic demand is much higher the heart rate stays higher for longer, which allows you to burn more calories during and after exercise.”
He says it can also be extremely helpful for people with diabetes, as it helps with hormonal and blood pressure regulation.
A LOT OF OLYMPIANS ARE USING ALTITUDE TRAINING AS PART OF THEIR PREPARATION, MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION PHASES SCOTT PAYNE