Purpose The aim of the present study was to identify blood-based biomarkers that could predict individual VO 2 max improvement before the start of an artificial altitude training camp. Methods In an exploratory intervention study, 15 young highly trained athletes from the German Athletics Federation completed a 21-day Live High – Train Low program at an artificial altitude house, which simulated an altitude of 800 km·h (approx...

Background Considering the season bests before the Olympics as well as individual critical speed, the question arose as to why the obviously fastest runner of the 2024 season, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, did not become Olympic champion over 1500 m. Besides the fact that the winner of the race improved his personal best by a huge jump of 2.9 s, the answer may lie in race tactics favoring a win by Cole Hocker. Methods To answer this que...