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The Effects of Altitude Training on Blood Components and Performance of Elite Rowing Athletes: Systematic Literature Review

ACTIVE: Journal of Physical Education, Sport, Health and Recreation · Vol. 14 No. 3 (2025) · pp. 827–832

DOI
10.15294/active.v14i3.34066
ISSN
2460-724X, 2252-6773
Published
2025-10-31
Publisher
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Language
eng

Abstract

Rowing athlete performance is greatly influenced by aerobic capacity, explosive strength, and precise technical coordination. One strategy widely used to support performance improvement is altitude training, namely training in hypoxic conditions through the Live High-Train Low (LHTL), Live High-Train High (LHTH), and Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) methods. Hypoxic exposure is believed to stimulate an increase in erythropoietin (EPO), which in turn increases hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and total hemoglobin mass (Hbmass), thereby optimizing the body's oxygen transport capacity. This study aims to systematically examine the effect of altitude training on blood components and the performance of elite rowing athletes. The study was conducted using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data sources were obtained through the Publish or Perish tool with a publication year range of 2015–2025, and inclusion criteria focused on Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) studies examining the effects of altitude training on elite rowing athletes. The results of the analysis showed that the LHTL method with a duration of 3–4 weeks and hypoxic exposure of ≥12 hours per day provided a significant increase in Hb, Hct, Hbmass, as well as aerobic capacity such as VO₂max and peak power output. However, there are variations in individual responses between "responders" and "non-responders," as well as differences in study design that cause the results to be inconsistent. Factors such as training intensity, initial fitness status, and nutritional support also influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore, it can be concluded that altitude training has the potential to be an effective strategy to improve the performance of rowing athletes through hematological and physiological adaptations, with LHTL as the most promising method. This research is expected to provide theoretical contributions to the development of sports coaching science as well as practical recommendations for coaches and federations in developing evidence-based training programs.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

40 authors · 114 co-authorship links · showing the 40 most connected

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Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
MulyanaAffiliation unknown6
Gafur Ammar SantosoAffiliation unknown4
Angga M SyahidAffiliation unknown4
Iwa Ikhwan HidayatAffiliation unknown3
Tian KurniawanAffiliation unknown3
Iman ImanudinAffiliation unknown2
Tono HaryonoAffiliation unknown2
Yudi NurcahyaAffiliation unknown2
Nida'ul HidayahAffiliation unknown2
Dikdik Zafar SidikAffiliation unknown2
Geraldi NovianAffiliation unknown2
KomarudinAffiliation unknown1
Yusuf HidayatAffiliation unknown1
Mona Fiametta FebriantyAffiliation unknown1
Wildhan Rahmadian SofyanAffiliation unknown1
Nurjanah JayantiAffiliation unknown1
Muhamad Farhan PratamaAffiliation unknown1
Marcella Febry UtamiAffiliation unknown1
Maharani Sekar LangitAffiliation unknown1
Febrian Yusran SaputraAffiliation unknown1
Syahrul Ghazi ParasutamaAffiliation unknown1
Ivan Rivan FirdausAffiliation unknown1
Nazwa Sausan NabilaAffiliation unknown1
Mochamad Yamin SaputraAffiliation unknown1
Nuzulfa Maisya HasnaAffiliation unknown1
Nina SutresnaAffiliation unknown1
I Putu Bayu Ardhya SatrioAffiliation unknown1
Adiputra WijaksanaAffiliation unknown1
Siti NurmalaAffiliation unknown1
Yopi KusdinarAffiliation unknown1
Widi KusumahAffiliation unknown1
Nawang Wulan FebrianiAffiliation unknown1
Syam HardwisAffiliation unknown1
Nur Rika HasanahAffiliation unknown1
Kanaya Siti Nur Syari’ahAffiliation unknown1
Sendi CorneliaAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/peshr/oai, first harvested 6 Nov 2026, last seen 8 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
<oai_dc:dc xmlns="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/  http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
	<dc:title xml:lang="en">The Effects of Altitude Training on Blood Components and Performance of Elite Rowing Athletes: Systematic Literature Review</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Rifqi Harits Taufiqurahman</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Dede Rohmat Nurjaya</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Pipit Pitriani</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Agus Rusdiana</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Altitude Training; Hematocrit; Hemoglobin; Athlete Performance, Rowing; Systematic Literature</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">Rowing athlete performance is greatly influenced by aerobic capacity, explosive strength, and precise technical coordination. One strategy widely used to support performance improvement is altitude training, namely training in hypoxic conditions through the Live High-Train Low (LHTL), Live High-Train High (LHTH), and Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT) methods. Hypoxic exposure is believed to stimulate an increase in erythropoietin (EPO), which in turn increases hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and total hemoglobin mass (Hbmass), thereby optimizing the body's oxygen transport capacity. This study aims to systematically examine the effect of altitude training on blood components and the performance of elite rowing athletes. The study was conducted using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data sources were obtained through the Publish or Perish tool with a publication year range of 2015–2025, and inclusion criteria focused on Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) studies examining the effects of altitude training on elite rowing athletes. The results of the analysis showed that the LHTL method with a duration of 3–4 weeks and hypoxic exposure of ≥12 hours per day provided a significant increase in Hb, Hct, Hbmass, as well as aerobic capacity such as VO₂max and peak power output. However, there are variations in individual responses between "responders" and "non-responders," as well as differences in study design that cause the results to be inconsistent. Factors such as training intensity, initial fitness status, and nutritional support also influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore, it can be concluded that altitude training has the potential to be an effective strategy to improve the performance of rowing athletes through hematological and physiological adaptations, with LHTL as the most promising method. This research is expected to provide theoretical contributions to the development of sports coaching science as well as practical recommendations for coaches and federations in developing evidence-based training programs.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2025-10-31</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/peshr/article/view/34066</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/active.v14i3.34066</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">ACTIVE: Journal of Physical Education, Sport, Health and Recreation; Vol. 14 No. 3 (2025); 827 - 832</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2460-724X</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2252-6773</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/active.v14i3</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/peshr/article/view/34066/6514</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2025 ACTIVE: Journal of Physical Education, Sport, Health and Recreation</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>