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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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After a lot of research and analysis of altitude systems, I ordered an AltoLab. The AltoLab consists of a breathing tube, a cylinder of CO<SUB>2</SUB> absorbent (CO<SUB>2</SUB> 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
{{DISPLAYTITLE:AltoLab, A cheap altitude training system}}
AltoLab
==Results==
So far, I've used the AltoLab system for four bouts of training with each bout consisting of 15 daily sessions. 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 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 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%.
* One simple test I did to check the effectiveness of AltoLab was to check my O<sub>2</sub> saturation when flying. After using the AltoLab, I found that my O<sub>2</sub> saturation was noticeably higher than before. (I used a barometric altimeter to check the cabin pressure to make sure the circumstances were similar.)
* After my first training bout I tended to ignore the slow, steady build up of intensity that the manual recommends and use four mixers (equiv 20,000ft) and aim to drop my O<sub>2</sub> saturation to around 70-75%.
* I've yet to keep the training up beyond the initial 15 day initial sessions. In theory you can 'top up' your altitude training after a 15 day break with 5 daily sessions. This is then repeated with 15 days off, 5 days on.
* 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 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.
* 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 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 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 meter (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 wrote some software 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.
==Conclusion==
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.
==The parts ordered==
I ordered the following components
Total cost was $306 (excluding the unused scrubbers).
==CO<SUB>2</SUB> Scrubber==
