Fitness Training At Altitude

[matty.k]

does anyone have any ideas for an experimental design to test the effects of fitness training at (high) altitude.

[stonecold]

'Training at higher altitudes, if possible, can also help increase lung capacity.;

Source:
http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Lung-Capacity

So define a relatively uniform control group which will train at normal altitude, and an experiment group which will train at high altitude.

Then, each day, each of the participants has to fully inhale, then fully exhale into a balloon.  Measure the diameter of the balloons using string.  If overall the experiment group balloons have larger diameters after a given amount of time than the control groups do, then you could say the results indicated that training at high altitude appears to increase lung capacity.

Another test you could do with the same groups is to test resting/working heart rate.  Lower heart rate in the experiment group would indicate that high altitude training reduces workload of the heart.

Body fat could be another one.

Just remember to say that the experiment would need to be repeated several times to confirm the results.
Also comment on the groups.  Talk about the size of groups, relative ages, fitness level etc.

[happyhappyland]

Also Heamaglobin count because your body needs all the oxygen available. U can test it by taking a blood sample

[simpak]

I wouldn't use body fat because it isn't a direct measure of fitness.
Like, I have friends who have a fair bit of body fat (and yes I know the difference between this and muscle) and who train professionally in swimming and stuff.
And then there is my brother, in the next room, who never gets up except to eat junk food and who plays Halo all day, yet is a stick with 0% body fat.
He is not fit.

So yep, but I like the balloon and the haemoglobin ideas.

Also, I just wanted to ask (since you made this thread), did the notes finally go through to your account? s:

[matty.k]

yea i got the notes, thanks again gibbons

i already got all the information relating to high altitude training. But i couldn't think of an experiment. I like the balloon idea very much

thanks for your help vn

[simpak]

Good, sorry about all the other times, my hotmail is crap srsly.
Just remember the four things you have to include for experimental designs as well!