Top triathletes on AIS altitude camp

Australia’s elite triathletes underwent a unique altitude training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport to discover a competitive edge leading into the 2012 London Olympics. 

A squad of 28, including World Champ Emma Moffatt, Olympian Brad Kahlefeldt, former ITU world number one Annabel Luxford, Olympian Erin Densham, Under 23 World Championship silver medallist James Seear and Junior World Championship silver medallist Emma Jackson.

Half the squad spent 14 hours a day in an ‘altitude house’ simulating conditions of living 3000 metres above sea level. The other half received intermittent hypoxic exposure, using a machine one hour each day that delivers either variable or fixed oxygen concentrations to simulate a high altitude environment.   

Testing to assess the impact of altitude training included a weekly run training session, two different types of blood tests conducted numerous times and treadmill testing.