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THE EFFECTS OF LIVE-HIGH, TRAIN-LOW HYPEROXIC TRAINING ON RUNNING AND RECOVERY HEART RATES IN NCAA DISTANCE RUNNERS: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The live-high, train-low (LHTL) altitude training model has been widely studied for its hematological and endurance benefits; however, few studies have examined real-time running and recovery heart rate responses within a hyperoxic chamber. PURPOSE: This pilot study investigated changes in running heart rate and recovery heart rate across two high-intensity aerobic interval training protocols performed in a hyperoxic environment in acclimatized NCAA Division I distance runners. METHODS: Five NCAA Division I cross-country athletes (3 males, 2 females; age: 22.4 ± 4.98 years) residing at ~2200m completed twelve supervised training sessions over four weeks inside a hyperoxic chamber simulating ~366m. Athletes performed two high-intensity interval training protocols: Protocol 1 (P1) consisted of four-minute intervals at 90–95% HRmax with three-minute active recovery at 50–60% HRmax. Protocol 2 (P2) included 47 repetitions of 15-second intervals at 90–95% HRmax, with 15-second active recovery at 50–60% HRmax. Heart rate (HR) was recorded every minute, with recovery HR assessed before each interval. RESULTS: In P1, recovery HR significantly decreased across sessions (p = 0.017). Running HR remained stable (p = 0.25). In P2, no significant changes were observed in recovery HR (p = 0.66) or running HR (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary data on running and recovery HR responses within a hyperoxic chamber during LHTL training in acclimatized athletes. While running HR remained stable, improvements in recovery HR in P1 suggest enhanced between-interval cardiac efficiency. The lack of significant changes in P2 recovery HR may indicate a different physiological adaptation pattern or a need for a longer training duration to elicit measurable effects. These findings have practical implications for endurance athletes seeking to optimize training at moderate altitude using LHTL. Future studies should expand sample size and explore the long-term effects of hyperoxic training on physiological adaptation and endurance performance.

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