Competing at the highest level in freestyle skiing requires not only exceptional technical skills but also superior physical conditioning, especially when racing at altitude. The GB Moguls Squad faces the unique challenge of performing in high-altitude environments, where reduced oxygen levels can significantly impact athletic performance. This is where Optimum Derby, with its expert team led by Sports Therapist Tom, steps in to provide crucial support, ensuring athletes can adapt and excel under these extreme conditions.

The Challenges of Altitude in Competitive Skiing

Altitude poses a range of physiological challenges for athletes. As elevation increases, atmospheric pressure decreases, leading to lower oxygen availability. This can cause immediate and long-term effects on the body, including:

• Reduced Oxygen Delivery: Lower oxygen levels mean that less oxygen reaches the muscles, impacting endurance and power output.

• Increased Heart Rate and Breathing Rate: To compensate for lower oxygen availability, the heart beats faster and breathing becomes more rapid, which can lead to quicker fatigue.

• Dehydration Risk: The dry air at high altitudes increases fluid loss through respiration and perspiration, making hydration a critical concern.

• Reduced Recovery Rates: Muscles may take longer to recover due to decreased oxygen levels, affecting training schedules and competition readiness.

• Altitude Sickness: Symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and sleep disturbances can hinder performance if not managed properly.

How Tom and Optimum Derby Support the GB Moguls Squad

Some of the strategies we try to utilise in GB when travelling to altitudes and competing over 2000m.

One motto you may have heard is “train high sleep” low, this allows the body to recover at a lower altitude and therefore greater oxygen saturation helps to repair muscles damaged during training. Listed below are some methods we use at GB and further options to consider when training or competing at altitude.

Pre-Acclimatisation Strategies

• Simulated Altitude Training: Using hypoxic chambers and altitude tents to gradually expose athletes to lower oxygen levels before traveling to high-altitude training camps. Similar to this is living in a higher altitude, this therefore reduces the significant reduction in oxygen availability by being accustomed to it all year around.

• Cardio and Strength Conditioning: Enhancing aerobic and anaerobic capacity to improve efficiency in oxygen utilisation.

• Nutritional Optimisation: Ensuring athletes follow a diet rich in iron, antioxidants, and high-energy foods to support oxygen transport and recovery.

On-Site Altitude Adaptation

• Gradual Exposure: Structuring training sessions with a progressive increase in intensity to allow the body to adapt.

• Breathing Techniques: Implementing controlled breathing exercises to enhance oxygen intake and reduce early fatigue.

• Hydration and Recovery Protocols: Monitoring hydration levels and incorporating recovery strategies such as compression therapy and active mobility exercises.

Post-Competition Recovery

• Oxygen Therapy: Using supplemental oxygen or guided breathing techniques to accelerate recovery.

• Massage and Physiotherapy: Addressing muscle fatigue and optimising movement patterns post-competition.

• Data-Driven Adjustments: Reviewing performance data to refine training programs for future high-altitude events. This can include smart watches and their data too. HRV is something to seriously consider here.

The Competitive Edge at Altitude

With Optimum Derby’s expertise, the GB Moguls Squad is not just surviving at altitude but thriving. By leveraging science-backed training methods, individualized support, and cutting-edge recovery techniques, Tom and his team ensure that athletes can maintain peak performance in the world’s most demanding conditions. Whether competing in the Alps, North America, or beyond, GB Moguls athletes are equipped to handle the physiological challenges of high-altitude skiing and continue to push the boundaries of their sport.

Optimum Derby remains committed to supporting elite athletes, helping them overcome environmental barriers and achieve their full potential. If you’re looking to optimise your performance in challenging conditions, get in touch with Tom and his team of sports masseurs, sports therapists and physiotherapists today.