Training at high altitude: here are the precautions to take in the mountains

With the rise of temperatures typical of this period, the mountain it becomes a holiday destination for children too sportsmen not fans of winter disciplines. To combine business with pleasure, there are many a don’t give up physical activity not even during leisure periods. Due to environmental differences, train at altitude however, it is different from doing it at sea level. To avoid taking risks, it is best to take some precautions.

environmental issue

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The higher you go altitudethe more the concentration decreases oxygen present in the air: this phenomenon is particularly marked when the 2,000 meters of altitude. Therefore, every time you breathe you introduce a lower amount of oxygen and, consequently, tends to decrease the saturation of this gas in the blood. If this is not particularly relevant for people in good health conditions, who have a good saturation reserve, it is instead more problematic for those suffering from cardiovascular diseases and especially, pulmonary, as well as for all individuals who have lower oxygen saturation levels to begin with. “Phenomenon linked to lower oxygen saturation is theincrease in blood pressurewhich tends to be more marked the colder the temperatures are, a factor that favors vasoconstriction” adds the Professor Daniele Andreini, head of the Clinical Cardiology and Cardiac Imaging and Sports Cardiology Unit at the Irccs Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio Hospital in Milan. At altitude, especially at an advanced age, hypertension can occur even in individuals who have always had normal blood pressure. Who already is hypertensive you should then ask your doctor whether to adjust your therapy every time you go to the mountains.

regulate your workouts

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The redoubt oxygen concentration typical of high altitudes, it is a factor that athletes who train in the mountains should also take into consideration. This in fact involves a greater cardiovascular effort during physical activity. “Due to the rarefaction of oxygen, training at altitude should be on one side less intense and on the other shorter compared to that at sea level. Based on the body’s responses to the efforts, it is then necessary to evaluate, from time to time, whether or not to increase both the intensity and the duration of the sessions” suggests Professor Andreini. If they intend to practice physical activity, even people who have never experienced hypertension and cardiovascular problems they should undergo a check-up with the cardiologist before leaving for a holiday in the mountains. This check-up is even more recommended for those who suffer from cardiovascular problems and to those with high blood pressure.

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warning signs

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If there are therefore no contraindications to training at altitude for healthy people, those with coronary or heart problems high pressure If you do not take the necessary precautions, you may run the risk of seeing your health conditions worsen. “In itself, high altitude is not dangerous. After an adaptation phase, the body benefits from clean air that you can breathe in the mountains also from a cardiovascular point of view” underlines Professor Andreini. To avoid even serious dangers, it is essential to pay a lot Attention to some body signals, especially if you are not in perfect health. For example, the hypertensive people they should not underestimate any headaches, which are often the consequence of an acute increase in blood pressure. Instead, people with coronary heart disease should not take any lightly pain in the anterior region of the chest and the feeling of shortness of breath, especially when it occurs during exercise.