# Altitude Training and IHHT for Longevity

"Höhentraining" is three different things that marketing blurs together. Classic altitude training (sleep high, train low) reliably builds red cells and VO2max in serious athletes, but does much less for a recreational exerciser chasing longevity. The mask-and-machine IHHT sold in DACH clinics is plausible and usually safe in screened people, with promising short-term gains in older and cardiac patients, but no human study shows it extends lifespan. And the Swiss "living high lowers heart deaths" data is confounded ecology, not something you can buy. Solid for athletes, genuinely thin for anti-aging.

Live High Train Low, hypoxia machines, mountain air. What the research actually shows.

## On this page

- What does "Höhentraining" actually mean, and why is it confusing?
- How does low oxygen change your body?
- What does the research actually show?
- Is it safe, who should skip it, and what does it cost in DACH?
- Should you do it, and how would you start?

## FAQ

- Does altitude training make you live longer?
- What is IHHT and is it worth the money?
- Is IHHT safe?
- Why do people who live at altitude have fewer heart attacks?
- Where can I do real Live High, Train Low in the Alps?
- Can IHHT replace my workouts?

## Sources

- Levine BD, Stray-Gundersen J. (1997). "Living high-training low": effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on performance. Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1997.83.1.102
- Faeh D, Gutzwiller F, Bopp M, et al.. (2009). Lower mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke at higher altitudes in Switzerland. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.819250
- Bayer U, Likar R, Pinter G, et al.. (2017). Intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic training on cognitive performance in geriatric patients. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2017.01.002
- Behrendt T, Bielitzki R, Behrens M, Glazachev OS, Schega L. (2022). Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Exposure Prior to Aerobic Cycling Exercise on Physical and Cognitive Performance in Geriatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Physiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.899096
- Behrendt T, Bielitzki R, Behrens M, Herold F, Schega L. (2022). Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia on Performance- and Health-Related Outcomes in Humans: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine - Open. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00450-x
- Glazachev OS, Kryzhanovskaya SY, Zapara MA, Dudnik EN, Samartseva VG, Susta D. (2021). Safety and Efficacy of Intermittent Hypoxia Conditioning as a New Rehabilitation/Secondary Prevention Strategy for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Current Cardiology Reviews. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573403X17666210514005235
- Dudnik E, Zagaynaya E, Glazachev OS, Susta D. (2018). Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Conditioning Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Older Comorbid Cardiac Outpatients Without Hematological Changes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. High Altitude Medicine & Biology. https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2018.0014
- Deng L, Liu Y, Chen B, Hou J, Liu A, Yuan X. (2025). Impact of Altitude Training on Athletes' Aerobic Capacity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Life. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020305
- Luks AM, Beidleman BA, Freer L, et al.. (2024). Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Acute Altitude Illness: 2024 Update. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2023.05.013
- Boulares A, Pichon A, Faucher C, Bragazzi NL, Dupuy O. (2024). Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia Protocols on Cognitive Performance and Brain Health in Older Adults Across Cognitive States: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-240711

_Full guide: https://longevity-china.com/en/guide/hoehentraining-longevity_

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_Canonical: https://longevity-china.com/en/guide/hoehentraining-longevity · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_