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| IHE||No sleep issues like LHTL, No detraining unlike LHTH, equipment cheap||Takes time (~1 hour/day) where activity is limited
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| IHT||No sleep issues like LHTL||Detraining as with LHTH, equipment varies and requires a [[Treadmill|treadmill ]] for runners
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It should be noted that one of the most important conclusions of the meta-analysis is the lack of good quality studies. For instance, there were only two IHE studies for elite athletes, and one of these was flawed by providing far too low a level of hypoxia for most of the study.
==Elevation Training Mask==
The [http://www.trainingmask.com Elevation Training Mask] (ETM) is a device that covers the nose and mouth to restrict [[Breathing|breathing]]. The ETM claims that it "mimics the effects of High Altitude Training", and it even talks about equivalent altitudes of 12,000-18000ft. The ETM web site states "The Mask reduces the partial pressure of oxygen"<ref name="TrainingMaskCase"/>, but there is no supporting evidence, or any indication of any possible mechanism that would reduce the partial pressure of oxygen. The only mention of [[SpO2|SpO<sub>2</sub>]] indicated a low value of 96%, well within the range of normal sea level respiration and well above the level needed for [[Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure| IHE]]. The manufacturer has a "clinical trial" that show ETM combined with [[High Intensity Interval Training]] (HIIT) improves [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]]<ref name="TrainingMaskTrial"/>, but this trial did not have controls to see if the improvements where just due to the HIIT. The improvements in [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]] shown in the studies are in line with other studies of HIIT alone, so the benefit of the ETM is unclear at best. Note that this trial was published as a blog entry, not published in peer reviewed journals. The ETM may improve the strength of the breathing muscles, but there is no evidence that this alone improves performance. I would not recommend the ETM, nor do I believe it constitutes 'altitude training' and it is only included in this section because it is a common question.
==See Also==
* [[The Science of Altitude Training]]