Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air

From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.

Kotarsky, an assistant professor-educator in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in the College of Allied Health Sciences, said athletes train for something spectators can't see.

"The environment itself plays a huge role in how an athlete performs," he said.

Kotarsky also said winter athletes aren’t just competing against one another, they’re competing against the elements.

"Cold weather specifically is really good at stealing our body heat, which can lead to muscle and joint stiffness, slower reaction times and even increase our injury risk," he explained.

That’s why warm-ups are longer in freezing temperatures, and athletes don’t just practice their sport — they make sure to spend time outside in the conditions.

"Your body is very, very smart. It learns to overcome what it's repeatedly exposed to," said Kotarsky. "If you want to get better at adapting to the cold, go out and experience more."

Altitude is also a major consideration.

"As we increase in elevation, the amount of oxygen in the air becomes less," said Kotarsky. "That can lead to fatigue and shortness of breath."

At higher elevations, the body responds by working harder to get oxygen where it needs to go.

"The body will actually produce more red blood cells, so we have more little oxygen taxis that can transport it throughout the body," he said.

Watch the full WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.

Featured image at top: Snow-capped mountains near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, one of the sites of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Photo/iStock/Tomasz Podolski.