aim for 2 - 4 cardiovascular sessions a week.start to increase (or introduce) cardiovascular training at least 6 weeks prior to your ski trip or ski season.The aim of cardiovascular exercise is to get your heart and lungs working hard for extended periods. So with this in mind, it is definitely worth improving your cardiovascular fitness prior to your skiing or boarding holiday. the cold also affects yours cardiovascular system.good cardiovascular fitness will improve your stamina.unfortunately, there is no link between your pre-existing fitness levels and how quickly you acclimatise, however the fitter you are theoretically the longer you will be able to ski for the better your cardiovascular fitness, the better prepared you will be to cope with the physical demands of sport and exercise at altitude.although most ski resorts are said to be at moderate altitude, rather than high altitude acclimation is just as important and it is not uncommon to feel mild to moderate effects during this period.in general, the higher the altitude, the longer it takes to adapt.Still today, the physiological effects of altitude and its role in training high for performance enhancement are an exciting on-going topic of research. It was noted that endurance events saw a significant number of below-record finishes, whilst anaerobic, sprint events excelled. As well as a lower cardiac output, longer term changes also include an increase in number of red blood cells and changes in muscle metabolism.Īccording to Wikipedia, altitude training and the effects of altitude on performance became a hot topic after the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City which is at an elevation of 2,240 metres (7349 ft).

However, this is only temporary and within a few days our cardiac output will lower (to levels lower than pre-ascent) as other physiological adaptations occur. To help preserve oxygen delivery, cardiac output (the volume of blood being pumped by our heart) increases. People often notice that when climbing the stairs in a ski resort they become much shorter of breathe than they would at sea level. One of the main and immediate responses is that the body adapts by increasing our breathing rate, both at rest and during exercise. There are both immediate and longer term physiological changes when living at high altitude, so the overall adaptation will depend if you are on holiday for a week or doing a ski season. Over time your body will acclimatise to this. However, at altitude, the air becomes less dense (thinner) therefore there are fewer oxygen molecules available. At altitude, the amount of oxygen in the air is the same as at sea level (21%).

High altitude fitness