Introduction: Now, the high performance athletes incorporate to their training, conventional altitude training programs intended to increase performance. Among the diff erent strategies found the intermittent hypoxic training (IHT). The aim of this study was to analyze the eff ects on VO2max and erythropoietin (EPO) produced by a program IHT seven weeks in triathletes. Methods: Included in this study 18 elite triathletes and U23 category divided into two groups, GIHT: n = 9 (age: 26 ± 6.73 years, height 173.33 ± 5.94 cm, weight: 66 , 38 ± 5.91 kg) and GC: n = 9 (age: 29.27 ± 6.84 years, height 174.89 ± 4.59 cm, weight: 71.59 ± 6.81 kg). IHT program was applied during 7-week and used 15 to 14.5% FiO2, 2 sessions per week, 60 minutes in a cyclergometer at anaerobic threshold intensity measured in hypoxia. There are two evaluation, one before and one after the program. In them, we performed a blood test and an incremental VO2max test. Results: The results showed a signifi cant increase of 16.64% (p = 0.049) in the EPO in GIHT (pre = 7.51 ± 1.56 mU / ml, 8.76 ± 1.92 post = mU / ml) and found no diff erences in the GC (pre = 9.92 ± 2.6 mU / ml = 9.79 ± 2.87mU/ml post). Comparing intergroup, signifi cant diff erences in the pretreatment evaluation (p = 0.038), the GC part to higher values respect GIHT. In the time after training, due to the signifi cant increase in the GIHT these values, these diff erences are equalized and become no signifi cant. Analyzing running test according to the group, we see that there were signifi cant diff erences between the two evaluation in GIHT in the VO2max relative (p = 0.005) and absolute (p = 0.014). In the GC there are no such diff erences. At the start of the program, the GIHT had a VO2max 59.53 ± 5.04 relative ml//kg/ min, while the GC obtained in this variable 58.93 ± 4.53 ml/kg/min (p = 0.806). At the end of the study, the value of this variable increases to 65.48 ± 4.92 ml/kg/min in the GIHT and 69.05 ± 10.51 in the GC (p = 0.169). Conclusions: The proposed IHT program produces signifi cant benefi ts on relative and absolute VO2max and the hormone EPO, key parameter in erythropoiesis.
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