An understanding of exercise physiology can be useful for athletes in adapting their training regiments to maximize muscle function during competition. Changes in muscle physiology and red blood cell volume occur in a predictable manner in response to changes in altitude and vibration during warm-up exercises.
Oxygen Training
Exposing your body to a low-oxygen pressure environment, as is seen at high altitude, initiates a sequence of events resulting in increased red blood cell volume, or hematocrit. The more red blood cells you have circulating through your system, the more efficiently oxygen will be delivered to tissues throughout the body, notably skeletal muscle. The logic behind oxygen training is to force your body to adapt to low-pressure oxygen environments, resulting in increased oxygen carrying capacity and efficiency of oxygen delivery to muscles. When you return to normal oxygen pressure at sea level, you will have an advantage in your body's ability to supply muscles with oxygen.
Physiologic Adaptations
The mechanism of your blood's adaptation to high altitude oxygen levels involves a regulatory system between the kidney and bone marrow. Your kidneys are responsible for detecting oxygen concentration in the blood; when these levels drop, the kidneys respond by producing the hormone erythropoietin. This molecule diffuses into the blood stream, ultimately acting on stem cells in the bone marrow to induce red blood cell production. These adaptations are reflected in an elevated hematocrit and increased oxygen carry capacity.
Vibration
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the term describing the aching feeling you experience after a hard exercise. A 2011 study from the Journal of Athletic Training describes the protective effects of whole-body vibration as a warm-up strategy for athletes. The study concluded that symptoms of DOMS were significantly reduced and further suggested that whole-body vibration prior to exercise improves muscle function.
Applications
Oxygen training combined with muscle vibration increase exercise performance through two separate mechanisms. The combination of these two techniques would have the duel effect of maximizing efficiency of oxygen delivery, improving muscle function, and reducing muscle soreness post-exercise.
References
- Journal of Athletic Training: Whole-body vibration and the prevention and treatment of delayed-onset muscle soreness; Aminian-Far A, et al; January 2011
- American Journal of Physiology: Regulated oxygen sensing by protein hydroxylation in renal erythropoietin-producing cells; Wenger RH, et al; June 2010
Member Comments