Difference between revisions of "AltoLab"

Revision as of 14:58, 12 February 2011

1 Introduction

After a lot of research and analysis of altitude systems, I ordered an AltoLab. The AltoLab consists of a breathing tube, a cylinder of CO₂ absorbent (CO₂ scrubber) and a series of foam filled cylinders that hold your exhaled breath for you to re-breathe (mixers). Each mixer is supposed to be around 5,000 feet of altitude, though this obviously varies a lot. A good explanation of the system can be found at http://www.pharmapacific.com/howaltoworks.html

2 The parts ordered

I ordered the following components

• The starter kit ($190) and which contains 3 mixers giving 5,000-15,000 ft of elevation, 2 CO₂ scrubbers proving 4 hours of usage, and the tubes.
• Three extra mixers for $36
• Six extra CO₂ scrubbers for $108 (I did not need these)
• A Finger Pulse Oximeter SM-110 which appears identical to the AltoLab Oximeter, but for $50 rather than $200.
• Bulk CO₂ scrubber. I ordered two 3 pound bags for $10 each + $10 shipping. http://www.shopmedvet.com/product/3057

Total cost was $306 (excluding the unused scrubbers).

3 Initial Observations

• It's important to let everything dry between uses, especially the bacterial filter. If it gets damp, it is hard to breathe through.
• Air you breathe through the AltoLab is quite warm, partly due to rebreathing exhaled air, partly due to the heat from the CO₂ scrubber.
• The manual suggests starting with 2 mixers, which should give a blood O₂ saturation of 90%. Mine dropped to below 80%, which may be part of the reason I do so badly at altitude. By the fifth session I found my breathing pattern changed, and my saturation did not drop as far.
• My initial few sessions I ignored the manual and let my blood O₂ saturation drop to around 80%, which is enough to make me feel light headed and my vision to change. After 6-8 sessions, the saturation dropping to 80% did not cause the same problems.

4 Results

I’ve used the AltoLab for two periods of race preparation and I’ve found it effective, but not without some significant downsides. Using the AltoLab seemed to improve my race performance at sea level slightly, though it is hard to separate out the benefits of AltoLab from the benefits of hard training. I did notice that I do somewhat better at altitude after using AltoLab for a while. One simple test I performed was to check my O₂ saturation when flying. After using the AltoLab, I found that my O₂ saturation was noticeably higher than before. (I used a barometric altimeter to check the cabin pressure to make sure the circumstances were similar.)

The downside to using the AltoLab is probably similar to other altitude training systems; being in a low O₂ environment is unpleasant. I find myself struggling to perform the training sessions as the feeling of asphyxiation was off putting. In theory you can watch TV while doing the AltoLab, and that’s how I used it, but the low O₂ saturation makes it hard to concentrate on anything interesting. Reading a book will using AltoLab is tricky as you need to hold the tube in your mouth. The initial sessions of training did seem to leave me a little weakened and slower at training than normal. I also found that the altitude training tended to give me a headache that would come back periodically.

Overall, I think the AltoLab is a cost effective and useful way of training for high altitude conditions, and possibly for improvements at sea level. I suspect that the downsides of using other intermittent systems will be similar to AltoLab. From what I understand from other people who’ve slept in altitude tents, there are different, but equally significant downsides to that approach, including poor sleep quality.

5 CO₂ Scrubber

• The CO₂ scrubber lasted for two sessions of an hour, 6 minutes on, 3 minutes off. AltoLab claim 2-3 sessions.
• The scrubber did not die quickly or obviously; I just found my blood O₂ saturation not dropping as far each time. Swapping to a new scrubber returned to the original behavior.
• The absorbent material (soda lime) has a color change that indicates when it is exhausted. After the scrubber had become ineffective, the color change had not occurred. This suggests that there is more life left in the absorbent material, but there is not enough material for it to work effectively. Using two scrubbers together may get more life out of the material.

6 Running Costs

Each CO₂ scrubber costs $22, or $18 when you by 6 at a time. This works out as a running cost of nearly $10 per hour, which can get a little pricey. I have found that the scrubbers open up quite easily, and can be refilled with a bulk CO₂ scrubber. I used [SodaSorb which is $10 for 3 pounds. Each CO₂ scrubber holds about half a pound, and lasts for 3-4 sessions, rather than 2-3 for the original. This reduces the running cost less than $1 per hour.

7 See Also

• Altitude Training
• Altitude Training Approaches
• Book Review – Altitude Training and Athletic Performance
• Intermittent Hypoxic Training and Intermittent Hypoxic Training 101
• Comparison of Altitude Training Systems