Altitude Services General Manager recently travelled to Cairns in Far North Queensland to deliver a series of lectures related to endurance sports preparation to an enthusiastic group from the Cairns Crocs Triathlon Club. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there on the internet these days and people really struggle to separate fact from fiction. By running these endurance sports seminars, Altitude Services hopes to better inform athletes in all facets of endurance sports training” said Rod Cedaro, a qualified sports physiologist, Level 3 triathlon coach and himself a former elite professional triathlete and distance runner.

“One of the lectures I delivered over the weekend was titled; ‘Technology in Triathlon’ and there is an evolving trend of more and more enthusiastic age group triathletes following the direction set by a number of the elites, who are using altitude simulation in the comfort of their own homes to improve their performances. This is a service that Altitude Services can personalize for athletes anywhere in the world” commented Cedaro.

In addition to developing our new state-of-the-art altitude simulators, Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. has been busy assembling next generation training cubicles, boxing ring covers and pool tents – a selection of which are shown here. Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. can tailor altitude applications to YOUR specific requirements.

Training Cubicle

Boxing Ring Cover

Pool Tent

Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. General Manager Rod Cedaro is pictured here with the latest prototype individual use altitude simulator.

“Here at Altitude Services we’re always trying to push the envelope with product design and refinement. Our engineering team has been working on the latest technology around altitude simulation and has come up with this prototype and for a first draft it is great, but not yet perfect. We’ve reviewed the system, provided some feedback and it is now back in the hands of the engineers to refine. I’m certain once this, yet to be name system, is finalised, we’ll have the world’s most advanced personal use altitude simulator in our stock range” recently commented Cedaro.

Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. General Manager, Rod Cedaro, recently caught up with AIS Post Doctoral Fellow in Altitude Training and Pacing Physiology, Laura Gavican-Lewis (PhD) and recorded the following video:

For anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding as to optimizing and refining altitude training programs viewing this conversation is a must!

Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. General Manager Rod Cedaro recently attended the Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) annual conference in Adelaide.

“This was a great opportunity this year. Some of the leading researchers and exercise scientists in the world with expertise in altitude training where there. It was great to listen to their presentations as well as pick their brains over coffee and dinner during the four days of the conference” commented Cedaro.

From an altitude training perspective the key points to come out of the conference were:

Underlying message – altitude training works!

1. David Bishop (Research scientist Victoria University): His group found an increase in mitochondria respiration after 14 days of 24 hour per day exposure in humans (2800m). Evidence suggested possible increase in the number of mitochondria meaning the athletes became more aerobic following altitude exposure. The study controlled for weight loss and provided training in the simulated altitude in the hypoxic hotel.

2. Brendan Scott (young researcher): Looked at “Physical Performance and perception of effort, fatigue and soreness during high intensity resistance exercise in hypoxia”. Conclusions: Hypoxia increases muscle hypertrophy and strength without having to increase additional stress via mechanical loads. This has direct application to sprinters in particular.

3. Aaron Coutts (former Carlton Performance Coach now working at Sydney University): “Effects of high intensity interval training in concurrent heat and normobaric hypoxia on physiological and performance adaptations.” This research found heat (32 degrees) and hypoxia (2000m) increased both haemoglobin and blood volume (plasma expansion) in hot and humid conditions. These athletes had 12 hour hypoxia and heat exposures to produce blood changes.

4. Chris Gore (Head of Sports Physiology Department – Australian Institute of Sport) concluded: (i) Haemoglobin (Hb) is directly related to VO2max – a 1gram increase in Hb equates to an approximate increase of 1ml/kg body weight in VO2max or 3.3ml O2/min improvement, (ii) if you can increase Hb you will increase VO2max. (ii) The longer the stay the better – the AIS found 18 days over 4000m most effective for increasing blood markers, they found 1300-2950m (had no effect), 3000-3100m (works), 3200-4300m (is more effective), 4350m (most effective). (iii) The trade-off between fatigue and physiological adaptation. AIS hypoxic facility is set at 1850-3000m for minimum of 2 weeks. (iv) They found a 1% increase on Hb for every 100 hours of altitude exposure which equates to ~3 weeks of sleep high/train low. Largely done at 3000m

5. Laura Garvican-Lewis (Research scientist Australian Institute of Sport and Canberra University): Altitude training works but with certain caveats: (i) Just because an athlete responds once doesn’t mean they always will, (ii) Hb mass is NOT definitive in performance – you can get performance improvement without changing Hb mass, (iii) you need to follow a “recipe” with altitude exposure (a) ensure iron status is optimized for 3 weeks prior to exposure, (b) make sure there is no sickness/inflammatory process involvement during exposure period, (c) check thyroid function is normal, (d) exercise intensity needs to be lowered and progressively increased during the altitude exposure period, (e) anti-inflammatory medication decrease EPO response, (f) athletes need to be in an “optimal adaptive state” to benefit from altitude exposure. (g) Best responses seen (in optimal adaptive state) with 3000m exposure for 2-4 weeks of 14 hours per day exposure. (h) You need to optimize recovery periods, (i) monitor sleeping habits, (j) build into training camps – slow progressive build up of training loads – week 1 acclimatization, week 2 volume onus, week 3 intensity focus – first high intensity session should not be completed until 10 days post initial altitude exposure. Week 3 (high intensity) – build plenty of recovery into the sessions/week as well. (k) There are arguments for immediate competition post exposure, 3 weeks post exposure up to 6 weeks post exposure – this needs to be experimented with the athlete on individual basis.

6. David Buttifant (High Performance Manager- Carlton Football Club – AFL): (i) Altitude training allows you to increase the physiological load without the mechanical loads of heavy training which often lead to injury, (ii) you can condense your adaptation/conditioning periods significantly with altitude exposure, (iii) in order to get optimal adaptation athletes HAVE TO BE healthy when participating in altitude camps, (iv) body weight can decrease up to 3kg post an altitude camp, (v) during a high altitude exposure period, have intermittent periods of lower altitude exposure spread throughout the high altitude period every 7-10 days to allow recovery and adaptation.

While the Autumn Racing Carnival winds down in Australia, Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. are cranking up!

With the second set of high tech, purpose built hypoxic gas generators now being installed, whilst concurrently Altitude Services Pty Ltd. retrofits faulty equipment previously acquired from a competitor’s company in the USA, the team at Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. is struggling to keep up with demand.

As negotiations proceed on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Altitude Services hopes to soon be able to announce the construction of a world’s first altitude training hotel at Australia’s premier holiday destination.

Stay tuned!

State-of-the-art hypoxic gas generators are installed to power six new equine altitude stalls.

Small, inadequate domestic use hypoxic gas generators simply don’t cut the mustard for heavy duty commercial use. Twenty-one of 36 such units had to be replaced recently by Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. This is the third time Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. has been forced to intervene on behalf of a client in order to rectify works done by unscrupulous, deceptive competitors “playing” in the marketplace in an area beyond their capabilities.

Small, inadequate domestic use hypoxic gas generators simply don’t cut the mustard for heavy duty commercial use. Twenty-one of 36 such units had to be replaced recently by Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. This is the third time Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. has been forced to intervene on behalf of a client in order to rectify works done by unscrupulous, deceptive competitors “playing” in the marketplace in an area beyond their capabilities.

General Manager of Altitude Services, Rod Cedaro outlines how to best incorporate mountains and hills in triathlon training in his article featured in the May 2014 edition of Triathlon & Multisport Magazine.

Read the full article via the links below.

Head for the Hills – Page 1 and 2 of 3 (PDF)
Head for the Hills – Page 3 of 3 (PDF)

Lining up against well-credentialed Thai champion Lookrak Kiatmungmee, WBA number two ranked contender Randy Petalcorin was facing his toughest opponent yet at Malvern Town Hall on March 28^th.

Someone however forgot to tell Randy that!

In what could only be described as a second round demolition fest, the young Melbourne based Filipino fighter dismantled his highly fancied Thai opponent in a consummate and polished display of boxing’s “four P’s”; poise, precision and power punching.

Randy sets up yet another knock-out victory.

Whilst manager Peter Maniatis excepted even more from the young Filipino the supportive Melbourne crowd was most impressed with Randy “UltraTune’s” performance. “Leading into the fight Randy sparred with Australian welterweight champion Mark Qoun who told me; ‘Randy hits as hard as middleweight and has unbelievable skills and speed the likes of which I’ve never seen before in a boxer’. So I’ve told Randy we expect him not only to win a World title but also to be a pound for pound champion. The pass mark for Randy must be nothing less than excellence and we will keep pushing for that til we all end up in Las Vegas” commented Maniatis after the fight.

One step closer to the big dance in Las Vegas.

“Going into the fight I was confident. Moving to Melbourne gave me even more time to prepare away from the hustle and bustle of the Philippines. I miss my family and friends but I want to be the next Filipino World Champion and the training and support I get here in Melbourne is fantastic. It can be really hot and humid at home, but here I can train and spar more and have regular access to my altitude training facilities for training and recovery, which has had a huge impact on my fitness and performance over the last six months” recanted Randy.

On the way to his destiny.

With a crack at a World title now looming and firmly on the agenda the global boxing community is sitting up and taking notice more so than ever.

Over the last 20 plus years Altitude Services Pty. Ltd. General Manager, Rod Cedaro, has written for a number of scientific journals and lay publications, in particular, given his background as a former professional triathlete and exercise physiologist, a number of these articles have appeared in Australia’s leading triathlon magazine – Triathlon and Multisport Magazine (TMSM).

When the publishers of TMSM heard of Rod’s involvement with Altitude Services, considered by many to be the world’s leading and most innovative simulated altitude company, they commissioned Rod to write a couple of articles clarifying some misconceptions about altitude training and outlining the benefits of this state-of-the-art training procedure.

Those articles can be found here:

‘Altitude Training – Are You High?’ (PDF)
‘Something in the Air’ (PDF)