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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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Some notes on altitude training [[Altitude Training]] and the effects of altitude
* At altitude there is lower air pressure. This lower pressure means that each lung full of air has less oxygen (lower partial pressure of O2). This results in lower oxygen saturation in the blood (Hypoxia).
* The human body adjusts to lower blood oxygen saturation in many ways. One adaption is an increase in red blood cells, but the performance improvements from altitude training [[Altitude Training]] may come from other sources<ref name="Nonhematological"/><ref name="Counterpoint"/>.
* There is great individual variability in the response to altitude. Some studies have classified subjects as 'responders' and 'non-responders' due to the significance of this variability. This variability can change over time within an individual. I met someone in Tanzania who had been a porter on Kilimanjaro (19,334 ft) until he lost his ability to cope with the altitude.
* Some variability may be due to differences in iron intake/availability. Low blood iron (serum ferritin < 20 ng/ml female, < 30 ng/ml male) may limit the body's ability to generate new red blood cells, which is part of the altitude adaptation. Studies in the USSR and CIS have shown genetic factors as well.
