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AltoLab is a cheap and effective way of [[Altitude Training]]. It uses a chemical (soda lime) to remove the CO<SUB>2</SUB> from your exhaled breath, allowing you to rebreathe the air that now has lower O<SUB>2</SUB>.
{{DISPLAYTITLE:AltoLab, A cheap altitude training [[Altitude Training]] system}}
==Introduction==
The AltoLab consists of a breathing [[Breathing]] tube and lid, a cylinder of CO<SUB>2</SUB> absorbent (Hypoxic Silo) and a series of tubes filled with foam 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.
[[File:AltoLab Components.JPG|thumb|none|200px|AltoLab components]]
==Results==
So far, I've used the AltoLab system for several bouts of training. The manual recommends using the system for 15 daily sessions, but I've found that I get better results from continued usage. I've found that training with AltoLab makes a difference to my performance both at altitude and at low levels. The training effect seems to build slowly, so it's not an obvious, dramatic change. However, I believe that the effect may compound over time, as the benefits of altitude training [[Altitude Training]] make me faster, which in turn allows for harder training as well as improved race performance.
== Observations==
* The first training bout was the hardest to keep up. Each subsequent bout seems easier, but I'm not sure why. It may be that my body is remembering the adaptation, or it may be that I just know what to expect.
* The manual suggests starting with 2 mixers, which should give a blood O<SUB>2</SUB> 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 [[Breathing]] pattern changed, and my saturation did not drop as far.
* For the first few sessions of my first training bout, I ignored the manual and let my blood O<SUB>2</SUB> saturation drop to around 80%. This was 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.
* After the first training bout, I ignored the manual even further and went directly to 4 mixers, and let my O<SUB>2</SUB> saturation drop to around 75-70%.
* 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 CO<SUB>2</SUB> scrubber. I tend to drink something in the rest periods.
* The downside to using the AltoLab is probably similar to other altitude training [[Altitude Training]] systems; being in a low O<sub>2</sub> 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 O<sub>2</sub> saturation can make it hard to concentrate at times.
* If my O<sub>2</sub> saturation drops below about 65% I tend to phase out, and it’s easy to drop into a strange dream like state for a few moments. This is almost a shamanistic experience, but I try to avoid this situation as it's probably quite unhealthy.
* Reading a book while using the AltoLab is tricky because you need to hold the tube in your mouth.
* You need to keep the mouth piece angled upwards to prevent saliva flowing into the system. If you don't the anti-bacteria filter will be hard to breathe through and the tube will fill up!
* For the first couple of bouts of AltoLab training, the initial sessions seemed to leave me a little weakened and slower than normal. I also found that the altitude training [[Altitude Training]] tended to give me a headache that would come back periodically. * I found there is quite a bit of lag in using AltoLab. When you start breathing [[Breathing]] through the AltoLab, it will take a couple of minutes before your O<sub>2</sub> saturation drops, and when you have the rest period, it can also take a minute or more before your O<sub>2</sub> saturation returns to near normal. However, I also found that the feeling of low O<sub>2</sub> saturation seemed to lag even further behind the reading from the [[Pulse Oximeter]]. My assumption is that the O<sub>2</sub> saturation of your blood can change, but the tissues your blood is supplying will take time to change to match the O<sub>2</sub> saturation of your blood. The practical implication is that my blood O<sub>2</sub> saturation could drop to 65% quickly and I would feel more or less okay for a short time. Once my blood O<sub>2</sub> saturation had been low for a minute or so, the impact would kick in and I'd start to feel light headed. Likewise, when I had a rest period, my blood O<sub>2</sub> saturation would rise to normal but my head would still be feeling the effects.
* I do not use the nose clip, as I found it uncomfortable. I find I can breathe through my mouth quite easily and do not require a nose clip.
* I wrote some software ([[Hypoxic Timer]]) that would interface with a USB enabled [[Pulse Oximeter]]. This gave me a graph of how my blood O<sub>2</sub> saturation was changing over time. It also allowed me to calculate the 'Hypoxic Training Index' so I could compare different training sessions.
* After some time, I ordered extra anti-bacterial filters, which cost less than $5 from a medical supplier. I got mine from [[http://www.allegromedical.com/respiratory-therapy-c534/main-flow-bacterial-viral-filter-p547468.html Allegro Medical]]
Total cost was $306 (excluding the unused scrubbers). An alternative would be to buy
* The breathing [[Breathing]] kit for $89
* Three extra mixers for $36
* One or two scrubbers for $22 each
==CO<SUB>2</SUB> Scrubber==
* The CO<SUB>2</SUB> scrubber lasted for two sessions of an hour, 6 minutes on, 3 minutes off. AltoLab claim 2-3 sessions.
* The scrubber does not die quickly or obviously; I find my blood O<SUB>2</SUB> saturation not dropping as far each time, but the biggest indicator is that I'm struggling to breathe. This is because the CO<SUB>2</SUB> is building up in the blood and causing deeper breathing[[Breathing]]. 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. However, the color change is only present immediately after use. If you leave the scrubber for a few hours, it will return to its original color, even though it is still expired.
* I created a video of opening the silo for scrubber replacement at http://youtu.be/6uK1Ua8ENGU
Occasionally people ask if you can just breathe through a tube or snorkel rather than buying a system. Sadly, this does not work. All that happens is the CO2 in the tube builds up, so you breathe faster without lowering your O<SUB>2</SUB> saturation.
==Pure DIY==
Looking at the parts for the AltoLab, it seems possible to construct one out of PVC piping, some foam, CPAP tube, etc., but this may require some effort to find the right parts. Given that the AltoLab system is only the cost of a couple of pairs of good running shoes[[Shoes]], it does not seem worth the effort.
==Optional Oxygen Sensor==
[[File:Altolab with OxyCheq.jpg|right|thumb|300px|My AltoLab system with the OxyCheq O<sub>2</sub> sensor attached. (Click for a larger image.)]]
I added an oxygen sensor to my AltoLab set up to make it easier to control my [[SpO2|SpO<sub>2</sub>]] levels. I chose the OxyCheq oxygen sensor because it has a separate replaceable sensor and a remote display, and the price was reasonable ($250). I've found that knowing the oxygen level I'm breathing [[Breathing]] gives me the finer control of how hypoxic I am as the [[Pulse Oximeter]] alone has a significant delay. If you start breathing [[Breathing]] air with more or less oxygen it will sometimes take over a minute for this to affect the circulating blood in your fingertip that the [[Pulse Oximeter]] is monitoring. This delay makes it tricky to stay in the right [[SpO2|SpO<sub>2</sub>]] range. With the O<sub>2</sub> sensor I can see how the depth of my breathing [[Breathing]] is affecting the oxygen level, and combined with the [[Pulse Oximeter]] I'm able to get a much more effective hypoxic exposure. The diagram to the right shows my current configuration:
* I generally use six of the black foam filled mixers.
* Attached to the black mixer is the green CO<sub>2</sub> scrubber, the end cap and the original hose.