ReviewSports health
Athletes at High Altitude.
Review in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia on Performance- and Health-Related Outcomes in Humans: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine - open · 2022Pooled it
- Interventions for preventing high altitude illness: Part 3. Miscellaneous and non-pharmacological interventions.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Interventions for preventing high altitude illness: Part 2. Less commonly-used drugs.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Effectiveness of voluntary isocapnic hyperpnoea for mitigating hypoxemia and acute mountain sickness in normobaric hypoxia: a randomized crossover pilot trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Complex networks analysis reinforces centrality hematological role on aerobic-anaerobic performances of the Brazilian Paralympic endurance team after altitude training.Scientific reports · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Hypoxic Training for Judo: Practices, Perceptions and Education of Judo Athletes and Performance Staff.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Optimizing Athlete Travel for Performance: A Scientific Blueprint for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Medicine Staff.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Article
- Hematological, inflammatory, and hypoxia-responsive adaptations to 18-day normobaric live high-train low training in elite rowers.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
- High-altitude thrombosis: divergent pathophysiological mechanisms and preventive strategies in acutely exposed population and native highlanders.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Review
- Association between thyroid function and acute mountain sickness upon rapid ascent to 3650 m in euthyroid lowlanders in China.Experimental physiology · 2025Article
- Pre-race medical screening and harm reduction approaches in ultra-endurance racing: A descriptive pilot study of global practice.JSAMS plus · 2025Article
- The Impact of a High-Altitude Expedition on the Physical Performance and Nutritional Indices of Health Status of Alpinists.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Neurological Manifestations Associated with Exercise at Altitude.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2025Review
- The impact of the experimental "Hypoxic Boxing" training on the motor abilities and specialized fitness of national boxing champions: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
- Case Report: Nutrition profile, body mass, sleep quality, and acute mountain sickness symptoms during altitude training in a Paralympic record-breaking athlete and his two guides.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Effects of Environmental Conditions on Athlete's Cardiovascular System.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Ceramide-1-phosphate alleviates high-altitude pulmonary edema by stabilizing circadian ARNTL-mediated mitochondrial dynamics.Journal of advanced research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextAthletes at different skill levels perform strenuous physical activity at high altitude for a variety of reasons. Multiple team and endurance events are held at high altitude and may place athletes at increased risk for developing acute high altitude illness (AHAI). Training at high altitude has been a routine part of preparation for some of the high level athletes for a long time. There is a general belief that altitude training improves athletic performance for competitive and recreational athletes. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A review of relevant publications between 1980 and 2015 was completed using PubMed and Google Scholar. STUDY
designClinical review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.
resultsAHAI is a relatively uncommon and potentially serious condition among travelers to altitudes above 2500 m. The broad term AHAI includes several syndromes such as acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Athletes may be at higher risk for developing AHAI due to faster ascent and more vigorous exertion compared with nonathletes. Evidence regarding the effects of altitude training on athletic performance is weak. The natural live high, train low altitude training strategy may provide the best protocol for enhancing endurance performance in elite and subelite athletes. High altitude sports are generally safe for recreational athletes, but they should be aware of their individual risks.
conclusionIndividualized and appropriate acclimatization is an essential component of injury and illness prevention.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.