Erythropoiesis and performance after two weeks of living high and training low in well trained triathletes

The purpose of our study was to evaluate hematologic acclimatization during 2 weeks of intensive normoxic training with regeneration at moderate altitude (living high-training low, LHTL) and its effects on sea-level performance in well trained athletes compared to another group of equally trained athletes under control conditions (living low - training low, CONTROL). Twenty-one triathletes were ascribed either to LHTL (n=11; age: 23.0 +/- 4.3 yrs; V(overdot)O(2)max: 62.5 +/- 9.7 [ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) ]) living at 1956 m of altitude or to CONTROL (n = 10; age: 18.7 +/- 5.6 yrs; V(overdot)O(2)max: 60.5 +/- 6.7 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1)) living at 800 m. Both groups performed an equal training schedule at 800 m. V(overdot)O(2)max, endurance performance, erythropoietin in serum, hemoglobin mass (Hb(tot), CO-rebreathing method) and hematological quantities were measured. A tendency to improved performance in LHTL after the camp was not significant (p < 0.07). Erythropoietin concentration increased temporarily in LHTL (Delta 14.3 +/- 8.7 mU x ml(-1); p<0.012). Hb(tot) remained unchanged in LHTL whereas was slightly decreased from 12.5 +/- 1.3 to 11.9 +/- 1.3g x kg(-1) in CONTROL (p < 0.01). As the reticulocyte number tended to higher values in LHTL than in CONTROL, it seems that a moderate stimulation of erythropoiesis during regeneration at altitude served as a compensation for an exercise-induced destruction of red cells.