So I know basically how much altitude effects running, but how about swimming and cycling?
With cycling, there has to be a trade-off. There is less wind resistance, but less air to breathe as well.
I’m guessing swimming is similar to running in terms of numbers- any sources to back that up though?
Am at 5500-6000 feet if that makes a difference.
At that altitude swimming is the hardest of the 3 sports, since you have to regulate breathing…At that altitude cycling will be faster, I think hour records have been broken at 7000+ft, so the trade off is upwards of there. In the swimming rule book there are handicapps for different altitudes, first one is around 4000ft, then jumps every 1500 to 2000ft after that…
I agree with Monty. Several years ago I went for a training camp in Salt Lake City, and - coming from sea level - swimming in the outdoor pool was really humiliating. I’m not even sure if Salt Lake even counts as altitude, but I constantly felt exhausted. Riding and running was much better, even at higher altitude.
Stefan
Here’s Colorado swimming’s times and altitude converter thingie that shows four different altitude bands:
I live at 6500 ft and train at 6000 ft. I love doing races at sea level. The difference in the swim is incredible. Breathing is so much easier! I usually make up 1-2 minutes in an olympic distance race in the swim alone.
I did a 35k MTB race in Humahuaca,Argentina which is at 10,000ft and got totally schooled by the everyone.Great fun but I was dead last behind the locals and a team from Villazon,Bolivia.Holy shit it was hard.
For those who are interested in bike travel here is the link to my race report from that event.It is pretty long.
www.nicksepicride.blogspot.com/2007/02/nicks-epic-ride-part-eleven.html
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At that altitude swimming is the hardest of the 3 sports,
Without question this is fact. At Xterra nationals at Tahoe (7200 ft) I was always amazed at how the swim was a real bitch - and I’m a good swimmer.
I noticed a difference in my swimming when I was in El Paso ~3500ft and I normally swim at ~400ft
My biking seemed faster and I felt I was able to produce the same power but it could have been lower.
For running I noticed I was ~:15 per mile slower
jaretj
I live and train at 4500ft, Sedona. I race at about 300 - 1200ft above sea level, Phoenix/Tempe/Lake Meade. I never swim train but yet can come in at least a tad behind the leaders in my age group. I can attribute this to the lower altitude and I’m long armed which helps swimming : )
Cycling is like breathing on an O2 bottle all day. Running “down there” see’s me running much faster then I can at home.
My last race saw me #2 out of the water and the fastest bike and run in my age group. Which ain’t so bad considering I never swim unless its in a race, and I only run about 6 miles per week. This race was at an altitude of about 500ft which is 4000 below where I live and train. So altitude does make a difference, but the “more in shape” you are, the less is effects you. At the age of 55 it makes a larger then normal difference I think.
At that altitude cycling will be faster, I think hour records have been broken at 7000+ft,
Only three times has the hour record been broken at what might be called higher altitude.
By Hamilton in 1898 in Colorado Springs (~1800m / 6500’) and twice by Moser in Mexico City (~2200m / 7350’) in 1984, both within a few days of each other.
All the rest have been done at close to sea levels, certainly not at what might be considered higher altitude.
Current records by Boardman was at Manchester (~ 85m / 250’), and Sosenka at Moscow (~190m / 570’).
While there is definitely a trade off between impact of lower partial O2 pressure to power output and lower air density reducing air resistance, suggesting an “ideal” altitude range exists, it is also function of limited availability of quality tracks at such “ideal” altitudes.
Thanks all. I know altitude makes a huge difference when it comes to running. I’ve gone from 6000 feet to 900 or so and feel like a superhero. It’s quite fun. 
It’s been a while since I’ve done any cycling at sea-level, so I was curious as to how things change. Am glad to hear swimming is loads easier at sea-level. Sucks ass up here.
Thanks all. I know altitude makes a huge difference when it comes to running. I’ve gone from 6000 feet to 900 or so and feel like a superhero. It’s quite fun.
It’s been a while since I’ve done any cycling at sea-level, so I was curious as to how things change. Am glad to hear swimming is loads easier at sea-level. Sucks ass up here.
There is a bit of information on impact to cycling power here:
http://www.midweekclub.ca/powerFAQ.htm#Q17
I have a little FAQ on “altitude training” but waiting for Turbo Studio FAQ page to be finished, otherwise I’d linky here.
Last Thanksgiving I was in Albuquerque visiting relatives, swam in a public pool with ~85deg water. Going from ~50ft to ~6000ft was really dramatic. Combined with that 85deg water, was a real buzz kill. If I remember correctly I think I was struggling to make 200free sets on ~3:30, or about :30 slower than I’d swim that set at sea level.