[michael]

I live in North Carolina and a lot of my training this summer has been hiking with a loaded pack in preparation for trekking in Nepal in October. I know that both hot weather and high altitude make the heart work harder. The former to regulate temperature and the later to supply more oxygen as the air contains less. So are my hikes in humid 90F (and up) weather at all analogous to how my heart will have to work in colder temperatures but at high altitude (I’ll be hitting just shy of 22,000 feet)?

Thanks!

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on August 5, 2018 at 4:42 pm #11038

Heart rate measures the global stress that we’re under. That stress can be training stress, heat stress, altitude, career, personal, etc.

But I’m afraid it’s just a global measurement of the total internal load. The pieces that add to that total won’t help us adapt to the others.

[michael]

michael on August 5, 2018 at 6:44 pm #11040

Yes, the total load is sort of what I was getting at not that training in the heat would help acclimatize to altitude. I’m not sure I stated my question very well though (or that I will do better now). For instance I carry a 35lb backpack at 90F at sea level and my heart rate would be hire than if it were 50F on the same route and speed. So I guess I was wondering if heat drives the total heart rate load in a similar way to altitude by raising it higher than a less stressful environment. So would the HR load be similar under these two totally different circumstances due to environmental stress? Hopefully, this makes sense although I may be off down a dirt road as well. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on August 5, 2018 at 7:59 pm #11041

My guess is… yes and no.

The heat stress will help you adapt to heat stress. But I don’t think the change in heart rate due to heat is going to have any aerobic benefit.

It’s better to think in terms of stimulus and response. What’s the stimulus? What’s the likely response?

If it’s a heat stimulus, you’ll adapt to heat. If it’s an altitude stimulus, you’ll adapt to altitude. If it’s an aerobic stimulus, you’ll have aerobic adaptations.

All of the above will effect a change in heart rate. But not all changes in heart rate have an aerobic benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on August 7, 2018 at 1:52 pm #11096

Michael:

From what I know Scott S is correct. The kind of adaptations that improve heat performance and that improve your altitude performance are both peripheral (out in the muscles) rather then central (in the heart) but they are different and I doubt seriously if you will see an transfer over from heat training to altitude performance.

Scott