How’s this for a conundrum?  Recently I read that, the fitter you are, the more you suffer at altitude. That seems odd to me; I had expected the exact opposite.

After all, people who regularly take part in vigorous physical activity improve muscle strength; their cardiovascular systems get stronger; and exercise helps to deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues. So why doesn’t fitness help an athlete to make better use of the lower oxygen levels in the air at high altitude?

There seems to be no clear-cut answer. At least in part, it seems to be an individual thing. Some people are more prone to altitude sickness than others. Some adjust to the thinner air more quickly. Way back when, I heard about Olympics-bound athletes who went to Denver to train, so they could learn to deal with working out at altitude.

I expect I’d have problems if I went to a cycling event in, say the Rocky Mountains. Many years ago I visited Denver, “the Mile-High City”, for a week. I felt out of breath the entire time I was there.

Would using a hypoxic mask during my day-to-day sea-level rides help if I were training for a high-altitude event? DO those things work?

Maybe. Maybe not. I think I’ll stay here at sea level, and let the high-altitude thing remain a conundrum.