Environmental factors can have a substantial impact on your performance. At higher altitudes and in hot, humid conditions, your body is forced to work much harder than normal to produce the same performance as it would in more comfortable environments.
However, exposure to these challenging conditions triggers a natural acclimation process. Acclimation is a physiological transition that helps you perform in new, more challenging conditions.
How Garmin Tracks Environmental Adaptation
Select Garmin devices automatically recognize when you are at higher altitudes or are being active in hotter conditions. Heat and altitude acclimation insights are provided based on activities performed above 800 meters (2,625’) and for temperatures above 22°C (72°F). This environmental information comes from a combination of GPS and weather reports from your paired compatible smartphone.
Your body simply can’t and won’t change overnight. Acclimation takes time and requires repeated exposure to the environment. Once you leave challenging conditions behind, your body starts to return to normal. Your Garmin device understands this process and combines environmental and performance data to reveal your current acclimation status. Keeping tabs on it helps you adjust your expectations and performance goals.
Why Tracking Acclimation Matters
Automatically recognizing and accounting for the relationship between environment and performance ensures the integrity of your training data. Struggling to keep your normal pace during a heat wave doesn’t necessarily mean your cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max) has dropped. Similarly, needing to catch your breath during a trip to the mountains doesn’t mean your training has been unproductive.
These acclimation insights help you:
- Set realistic performance expectations in challenging environments
- Understand when you’ve fully adapted to new conditions
- Prevent inaccurate training status assessments
- Track how quickly your body adapts to environmental stress
- Plan training and competition in different climates more effectively
How Long Does It Take to Acclimate?
The speed at which your body acclimates depends on several factors. One of the most significant factors is the difference between the conditions you are acclimating to and your normal environment. The bigger the change, the longer it takes to adapt. Another factor is the frequency and duration of your workouts.
Evidence shows that prolonged daily outdoor exposure to challenging climates can produce the necessary adaptations in as little as 1 to 2 weeks. Athletes with a higher VO2 max typically adapt to challenging climates at a faster rate, sometimes decreasing the acclimation period by as much as half.
Understanding Heat Acclimation
Athletic performance involves transforming the energy stored in proteins, carbohydrates and fats. This produces heat. During intense physical activity, your body can rival a 1,000-watt space heater in terms of heat production. Getting rid of this excess heat is necessary for maintaining a normal, healthy body temperature.
Circulating blood close to the skin allows heat to escape. This natural cooling process becomes more efficient as you sweat, because the evaporation of sweat has a natural cooling effect on your skin.
Not surprisingly, it’s much easier for your body to get rid of excess heat on a cool, crisp morning compared to a hot, humid summer afternoon. Your environment matters. Acclimation triggered by hotter climates focuses on improving the efficiency of your body’s natural cooling systems.
Key Heat Adaptations
Heat acclimation produces several significant physiological changes:
- Increased sweat rate - You begin to sweat more and start sweating faster
- Improved skin blood flow - More blood flows quickly just below the skin surface
- Enhanced cardiovascular stability - Better ability to sustain blood pressure and cardiac output
- Better fluid-electrolyte balance - Improved ability to handle hydration-dehydration cycles
Understanding Altitude Acclimation
At an elevation of 10,000’ (3,000 meters), the amount of oxygen in the air is only about 70% compared to sea level. This means your heart, lungs and circulatory system need to work much harder at higher altitudes to deliver a similar amount of oxygen to your muscles for aerobic energy production.
Adaptations triggered by exposure to high-altitude environments focus on increased lung capacity and increasing the amount of oxygen carrying red blood cells in your blood supply. Pressure increases in the arteries running through your lungs, which forces the circulation of blood into areas of your lungs that aren’t normally used at lower altitudes. The additional red blood cells allow more oxygen than normal to be carried to your muscles with each heartbeat.
Key Altitude Adaptations
Altitude acclimation produces these important physiological changes:
- Increased red blood cell production - More oxygen carriers in your bloodstream
- Enhanced lung capacity and utilization - Using more of your lung tissue effectively
- Higher pulmonary artery pressure - Better blood circulation in lung tissues
- Improved oxygen extraction efficiency - Muscles become better at using available oxygen
Performance Benefits
The fact that these performance-boosting adaptations are not immediately reversed upon return to lower altitudes is the basis for high-altitude training for athletes. Many elite athletes deliberately train at high altitudes to trigger these adaptations, then compete at lower elevations to capitalize on their enhanced oxygen-carrying capacity.
How to Use Acclimation Data on Your Garmin
Your Garmin device will show your acclimation status through:
- Acclimation status widgets - Direct access to your current heat and altitude adaptation
- Performance metrics context - Adjustment of VO2 max and other metrics based on environmental factors
- Training status adjustments - Environmental factors are considered when evaluating if training is productive
- Improved performance predictions - Race times and other predictions account for environmental adaptation
Compatible Garmin Watches
Heat and altitude acclimation features are available on select Garmin devices, including:
- Forerunner Series (945, 955, 965, 970)
- Fenix Series (6, 7, 8)
- Epix Series (Gen 2, Pro)
- MARQ Collection
- Enduro Series
Making the Most of Environmental Training
To leverage environmental training and acclimation tracking:
- Be patient - Allow sufficient time for adaptations to occur
- Train consistently - Regular exposure accelerates adaptation
- Monitor hydration - Pay extra attention to fluid intake in heat
- Track trends - Watch how your body adapts over time
- Plan strategically - Use acclimation periods before competitions in challenging environments
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