CSI Pacific Supports International Study on Athlete Health and Energy/Nutrition Confounders during Altitude Training in Elite Rowers

(Victoria – February 24, 2025)

CSI Pacific’s Physiology, Nutrition, and Data Solutions teams are proud to be collaborating with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Harvard’s Female Athlete Program, Australian Catholic University, USA Rowing, Rowing Canada, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Center (USOPC) on an innovative month-long research project. The study, which involves approximately 50 elite U.S. and Canadian rowers at the USOPC in Colorado Springs, aims to explore the nutritional, physiological, and psychological responses to a rigorous three-week altitude training camp at 1,839 m (6,035 feet).

This research initiative is a testament to the power of international collaboration, bringing together top researchers, sports scientists, and medical professionals, along with two NSOs (USA Rowing and Rowing Canada) from multiple institutions, to advance knowledge in endurance sports. By combining expertise in physiology, nutrition, and both female and male health and mental health, the project seeks to develop new insights that can be applied to training regimens, injury prevention, and overall athlete well-being. The partnership and unique expertise among all the collaborators ensure that findings will be grounded in cutting-edge science while having practical, real-world applications for elite athletes and their coaches.

The project employs a real-world, field-based research training camp design featuring world-class measurements and assessments in free-living training conditions among elite and world-class national team rowers. The study will collect extensive data and examine critical factors such as energy availability, training load, sleep, body composition, and mental health, with a focus on understanding Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and altitude-related performance outcomes. Researchers will conduct tests to assess metabolic rates, training load, and energy intake (over three weeks); perform blood tests; and measure hydration levels and oxygen saturation to track how athletes adapt to training at high altitudes. Body composition will be analyzed using DXA scans, while sleep and recovery patterns will be monitored through wearable technology. Hemoglobin mass testing will help determine changes in oxygen-carrying capacity, and psychological assessments will evaluate mood and mental well-being throughout the camp.