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[quote=Anonymous]We live at 7k feet in a town with an Olympic training center. My kids swim and row, and they have short term benefits when they go to sea level, but it’s not as pronounced as you would think. I think the benefits for camps here are minimal to none unless you spend a month or so at altitude.

On a biological level, living at altitude increases your hematocrit over time, causing your blood to be able to carry more oxygen to your muscles. My hematocrit at sea level ranged from 38-39, and here is it in the 42-43 range. But the lifespan of a red blood cell is about 120 days, so that’s why the effects of altitude only last a week or two at most. After 2 weeks, enough of your red blood cells have died off and are not replaced because your body knows it doesn’t need them.

I think there is a psychological boost to being at altitude though - we all feel more confident about our fitness when we do things on vacation, whether it’s long hikes, bike rides etc.

If they have a big race right when they come back after 4 weeks at altitude, I would say they would get a boost. But that boost will fade after 2 weeks or fewer, and they will still have to attain those times without the benefit of altitude training in the future. Bottom line, the effects of altitude on visiting athletes are transient. 
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