How to use an Altitude Tent or Canopy for Simulated Altitude Training

At the bottom of this page you will find a typical 8-week schedule for building speed and endurance using an altitude tent or Snowcap sleep canopy. During this time, you will sleep in the low-oxygen environment produced by an oxygen-lowering machine called a hypoxicator (for example, the Mountain Air Generator). While normal air has 20.9% oxygen, when you do altitude training, you will be sleeping anywhere from 17% down to about 12% oxygen. Ideally you should sleep at high altitude every day, but don’t worry about an occasional day off.

The altitude training schedule builds over a month to a maximum altitude between 10,000 and 14,000 feet (3000 to 4300 meters). This is higher than most literature recommendations, but we have found that higher altitude helps compensate for only getting 8 hours per day of altitude exposure. If you tend to sleep fewer hours, you can increase your hours at altitude during the day by wearing an altitude training mask while you do desk work or watch TV.

Sleeping in an Altitude Tent: The Acclimatization Phase

During the first four weeks, the acclimatization phase, you are sleeping in the altitude tent at progressively higher altitudes.  We recommend starting at a medium altitude around 5000 feet (1500 meters) and building up 2000 feet per week. Some people can start higher or progress faster, and others might go slower. If you go to high too fast, you will find it difficult to sleep. Your heart will be beating hard, and you will be restless.

If you are using a fingertip pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation in your bloodstream (SpO2), you should aim for an SpO2 of about 90% while you are in the altitude tent.  At this level, your body will be calling for more red blood cells by generating EPO, the blood growth factor hormone.

It is normal to feel feel somewhat fatigued during the first couple of weeks using an altitude tent. Try and maintain your regular training schedule. You should feel stronger and start gaining speed and endurance after the third or fourth week. Be patient because it takes several weeks to generate new red blood cells and for those red blood cells to mature into oxygen-carriers.

Sleeping in an Altitude Tent: The Build-Up Phase

Weeks 4-8 are what we call the build-up phase.  By now, you should be able to train at a level beyond your usual capacity and begin to see speed and endurance gains. This is when your muscles really begin to leverage to your new aerobic capacity and higher VO2 Max. Train aggressively during this phase to get the most out of your altitude adjustment, but as usual, be sure to get enough rest and recovery to avoid overtraining. You can continue beyond 8 weeks, but eventually you will reach a new plateau. 

Rest and Recovery While Doing Altitude Training

Even though you are getting less oxygen at night, your rest and recovery is not impacted as much  as it might seem. In fact, once you are acclimatized, you might even feel better after hard workouts. This is because your body has learned to compensate for lower oxygen conditions, and your muscles are receiving more oxygen during work intervals. As a result, stress and damage at the cellular level might be reduced, compared to your normal workouts. In other words, if you used to be wiped out after your hard workouts, when you are using an altitude tent, you might not feel so bad, so you don't have so much to recover from.

What To Do Before a Race When You Are Altitude Training

Altitude training will help you perform at a new level regardless of the altitude of your target event(s). Although most people only think about altitude when they are doing a high altitude race or event, the benefits of higher aerobic capacity will pay off even at sea level. There is no need to taper off altitude before a race. However, we do recommend taking 1-2 days off (sleeping at normal altitude) before an important event, so you are fully rested. If you are racing frequently, then it may not be practical to skip altitude training more than a day prior to a race, since you want to get 6 days per week at altitude.

Altitude Training Schedule for use with Altitude Tents and Canopies

Week	Altitude (ft)	Oxygen Concentration	Hours per Day	Training Schedule
1	5000	17.2%	6 to 8 or more	Train normally
2	7000	16.0%	6 to 8 or more	Train normally
3	9000	14.8%	6 to 8 or more	Train normally
4	10,000 to 11,000	13.7 - 14.2%	6 to 8 or more	Intensify Training
5	10,000 to 13,000	12.7 - 14.2%	6 to 8 or more	Intensify Training
6	10,000 to 14,000	12.2 - 14.2%	6 to 8 or more	Intensify Training
7	10,000 to 14,000	12.2 - 14.2%	6 to 8 or more	Taper or Continue Training
8	0 (stop 1 to 2 days before your event)	20.9%	0	Race