High-altitude training available in Flanders now
Why should our top athletes still seek out faraway and high-altitude places now that a state-of-the-art altitude hotel has recently opened in the West Flemish town of Sint-Eloois-Winkel at 38 m above sea level?
High-altitude training trips to Tenerife or Majorca are on the rise. After all, training, living and sleeping at high altitude has been scientifically proven to improve fitness and athletic performance. This is because the thin mountain air stimulates the production of red blood cells, thus promoting the transport of oxygen. The benefits are felt back at sea level.
The Monte Marcella resort in Sint-Eloois-Winkel provides that beneficial effect on the body and mind, in its 16 altitude rooms with a total of 42 beds. One of its kind in Flanders so far. In each room separately, the desired height is adjustable, ranging from 0 to 4,500 m. In the private rooms as well as in all eight common relaxation areas no less. Perhaps the icing on the cake is the heated 25 m outdoor pool. In short, the resort offers the perfect simulation of altitude training thanks to an advanced system that extracts oxygen from the air and adjusts air pressure. Unlike in the mountains, at this resort, you can start training intensively right away. The altitude hotel primarily caters for professional cyclists and other elite athletes. But everyone is welcome here, including family members, claims former triathlete, 2013 Sportsman of the Year and Monte Marcella ambassador Frederik Van Lierde.
So those eager to venture into higher realms surrounded by the latest gadgets know where to go.