![]() ![]() Altitude training allows for athletes to have the production of excessive red blood cells that puts them at advantage with their oxygen levels to enhance their performance at sea level. The lack of oxygen causes the body to produce more red blood cells, because red blood cells help move oxygen throughout the body. In higher altitude environments, people take in less oxygen per breath, according to the UT Southwestern Medical Center. Northern Arizona cross country runners say after training in Flagstaff, they feel well-prepared to compete at sea level. “We have (the) most accurate way of measuring that.” “A lot of athletes, they’re coming to Flagstaff to gain more red blood cells,” Bergland said. HYPO2 Sport has attracted elite athletes from around the world as they look to enhance their endurance performance in synergy with the high country’s imposing altitude. “The demand of going to Flagstaff has only increased over the years,” said Dan Bergland, an exercise physiologist for HYPO2 Sport, a Flagstaff-based company that specializes in altitude training. “People come here to train from all over the country and all over the world because it’s a great spot,” said Ryan Raff, a senior on NAU’s cross country team.įlagstaff, at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, housed the training of Olympic athletes from nearly 30 different countries before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, validating the city’s slogan of “turning thin air into gold.” 12 in Provo, Utah, followed by the national championships Nov. 1 in the nation for the fifth week in a row, while the women are ranked No. The Lumberjacks swept the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships Saturday, taking first in team and individual in both men’s and women’s. The power from training in Flagstaff year-round is NAU runners’ secret weapon. The Northern Arizona University cross-country teams are consistently successful because of a unique factor that is involuntarily forced into the athletes’ training – altitude.įlagstaff, the home of NAU, has an altitude of almost 7,000 feet, making it a prime spot for endurance training, not only for NAU athletes but for world class athletes from around the globe. Running requires strength that can only be obtained through prolonged exposure to the exceptional elevation. Steps feel heavier, distances much longer. PHOENIX – Breathing becomes a chore at around 5,000 feet above sea level. (Photo by The Open Road Images/Getty Images) It’s the high altitude that provides a beneficial training experience. It’s not just the beauty and the aspen trees that inspires running in Flagstaff. ![]()
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