Training at altitude

As part of a training programme for the UTMB, training at altitude is compulsory as it will allow the body to adapt to the effects of the mountain and optimise your physical form.

Why is it necessary to train at altitude before the UTMB?

With altitude, the density of the air decreases, the water content of the air (hygrometry) also decreases and the oxygen content also decreases. It is therefore necessary for your body to get used to these new parameters. In addition, the drop in oxygen content in the air will induce the secretion of erythropoietin or EPO in the kidneys, which will then stimulate the manufacture of more red blood cells by the bone marrow: performance will be improved by the increased oxygen supply to the muscles. 

When should you train at altitude?

A stay of at least a week will have positive effects on your preparation for the UTMB if the event takes place within two or three months. It is also possible to plan a stay at altitude to get used to it, in the 15 days before the event. Training at altitude is more difficult than on the plains and can affect the muscles and require more heart work. It is therefore necessary to favour endurance work and not to do mainly intensity work.