New Denver health club Traverse Health gives altitude coaching room

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Trainers Genevieve Henderson (left) and Billy LaGreca (back) train on the treadmill in the high altitude gym at Traverse Fitness in Denver on March 2nd. Traverse Fitness has an altitude training studio where athletes can be brought from sea level to 20,000 feet in a fully equipped workout environment. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post)

The benefits of altitude training for endurance athletes have been well known for decades. That has made Boulder an international mecca for Olympic runners, triathletes, cyclists and mountaineers since the 1970s.

Now the altitude training is high-tech.

At Traverse Fitness, a new Denver gym with an “Altitude Room,” people can get the workout effect of training up to 20,000 feet. Climbing without leaving Mile High City could prove attractive to elite high altitude climbers as well as weekend warriors training for events like the Pikes Peak Marathon or the Leadville Trail 100.

However, the altitude space in Traverse can also bring members at sea level, which could benefit runners who want to get their high-intensity workouts done faster than normal, or out of shape folks who are just starting out on a training plan.

The Hypoxico computer shows the current altitude at the Traverse Fitness altitude training facility on March 2nd in Denver. The high altitude training studio is a 1,100 square meter, closed exercise studio in which highly controlled, 100% sterile air is released that is either low in oxygen (hypoxic) or high in oxygen (hyperoxic). (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post)

“Altitude days” at Traverse are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, while Tuesday and Thursday are days at sea level.

A high altitude climber, Cory Richards of Boulder, plans to sleep in the altitude space of Traverse before setting off on an expedition to Dhaulagiri, a Himalayan peak in Nepal that is the world’s seventh highest mountain at 26,795 feet, later this month . The idea is to get a head start on the acclimatization he will need for Dhaulagiri, but he also sees benefits for less extreme athletes.

“They do all kinds of things there that I find really fascinating,” said Richards, who climbed Mount Everest twice, once without additional oxygen. “The added value is enhanced by the ability to either go up or down. Often we just think of going upstairs. “I want to train at heights because that’s the most important thing to me.” But there is also tremendous benefit that can come from low training.

“I really hope they can open a facility here in Boulder. I think they would be gangbusters. “

When athletes who train at altitude “acclimate” a series of adaptations in response to lower air pressure at higher altitudes that allow the blood to carry more oxygen. In general, people who live in Denver have a higher percentage of red blood cells than people who live at sea level.

Coach Genevieve Henderson is training on March 2nd in Denver on a Keizer functional trainer in the high altitude training studio of the fitness studio at Traverse Fitness. Once inside, the simulated altitude triggers a series of physiological adjustments that enliven the body’s systems to achieve higher standards. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post)

In contrast to natural altitude training, the altitude space does not regulate the air pressure with Traverse. To change the effective “altitude”, only the oxygen percentage in the room is increased or decreased. There is a similar altitude space at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

One day this week, a group training session for an ultramarathon in Wyoming this summer completed a 50-mile treadmill at an effective altitude of 9,000 feet. William LaGreca, trainer at Traverse, is training for an Ironman triathlon in hopes of qualifying for the Kona World Championship.

“If I’m at high altitude one day, it’s more of a stationary, lower heart rate for a longer period of time,” LaGreca said. “When I’m at sea level, I can do a little better. This is on my interval days, my (anaerobic) threshold work – in short, with high intensity to increase my pace. “

Co-owner Kris Peters said he was inspired to name the Traverse gym after the annual 40-mile Grand Traverse ski touring race from Crested Butte to Aspen.

“My vision for this room is for the weekend warriors,” said Peters. “Not just the elite, everyone can train at a level where they wouldn’t be beaten 11,000 feet in a ski race because they couldn’t always make it to the resort (to train).”

The height room has treadmills and high-tech spin bikes connected to screens.

Trainer Billy LaGreca (right) runs on the treadmill while Trainer Genevieve Henderson (left) works out with kettle bells at the high altitude gym at Traverse Fitness in Denver on March 2. Traverse Fitness has an altitude training studio where athletes can be brought from sea level to 20,000 feet in a fully equipped workout environment. The high altitude training studio is a 1,100 square meter, closed exercise studio in which highly controlled, 100% sterile air is released that is either low in oxygen (hypoxic) or high in oxygen (hyperoxic). Once inside, the simulated altitude triggers a series of physiological adjustments that enliven the body’s systems to achieve higher standards. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post)

“We can drive the Vail Pass,” said co-owner Jim Gerber. “When you go up the mountain on the screen, you actually feel the resistance change in the bike without you doing anything. We have paddle shifts on the bike so you can downshift or upshift just like you would on a normal cycling experience. We’ll start doing fun things mimicking rides from around the world and we can change the ‘height’ in the room as you go up and down different rides. “

It also has benefits in descending to the sea level. Runners can increase their leg strength by completing high-intensity intervals at faster paces than at altitude, thereby improving the pace at which they can race.

“The altitude is sexy, but I think sea level is actually very useful for improving people’s aerobic capacity and fitness,” said Gerber. “I think in the long run this will be a very popular thing for us.”

The height room is one of two training rooms at Traverse. The other is set up for high-intensity interval training – known as HIIT – using treadmills, spin bikes, and high-tech pulley machines that can be used for a myriad of HIIT exercises. There is also a relaxation area with Normatec boots that flush the legs with pulsating compression after a workout.

However, the height space gives Traverse a unique market niche.

“We see people who like to exercise, aren’t Olympic athletes, don’t necessarily run a marathon, but it’s the little bump from a new training experience,” said Gerber. “People are starting to see the benefits: ‘I have to train again. I can train at sea level, improve my cardio, and improve my strength in a much simpler environment than 5,200 feet, which puts you in high intensity HIIT exercises. ‘

“We’re just excited to test the limits of this thing and see what we can do.”

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Coach Genevieve Henderson is training on March 2nd in Denver on a Keizer functional trainer in the high altitude training studio of the fitness studio at Traverse Fitness. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post)