Playing at altitude

TarfHead

Does living in Pretoria, or some other location significantly above sea-level, provide a sustainable cariovascular advantage ?

If so, the Transvaal players should have a permanent advantage over other players, yet they don't seem to. The Blue Bulls were very impressive in the S14 final, but they had a spine of world-class players.

The Springboks have been in and aroud sea level for the last couple of weeks. Does this mean when they get to Pretoria, they too will have to acclimatise ?

In short, does playing above sea-level provide a real advantage to the Springboks ?

bleg

as the air is thinner with a reduced amount of oxygen, the body produced more red blood cells to acclimatise. this would mean that people from lower altitudes won't have the same stamina as people from higher altitudes.

the transvaal players just aren't as good as their counterparts from other areas of SA but probably would have increased stamina. that's the simple answer.

the lions have done some acclimatisation training i.e. wearing face masks that increas the demand on the lungs and therefore mimic higher altitudes. in the amateur days i'm sure that there would definitely be an advantage for the sprinboks.

However the professionals these days are at such a high level of fitness and are trained and managed so well that i'd say the advantage is negligable. I'm certainly open to correction on that one though.

chupacabra

Depends. At altitude the barometric pressure of oxegen is lower, so your body produces more red blood cells. But this will only really give you an advantage if you train for prolonged periods of time and then return to sea level, as the increase in red blood cells requires that more oxegen be supplied to your muscles than normal. Which gives you a little performance enhancement. Think of it as a natural performance enhancing drug.

But all the talk of altitude on this tour has been blown way out of proportion. The Lions players have had a weeks training at altitude, have had simulated altitude training, and also have had this week training at altitude also. So there shouldnt be a large gap between the springboks and the lions.

Zzippy

AFAIK growing up at altitude confers long-term advantages. The fact the Springboks were at sea level for 2 weeks won't reduce that advantage significantly at all. Athletes often do pre-season training at altitude, and reap the benefits for months afterwards in terms of increased oxygen-carrying capacity in their blood cells. I don't know how many of the SA team grew up at altitude, but I'm sure they all done significant training at altitude, so it would be an advantage alright.

OldJay

chupacabra wrote: »

But all the talk of altitude on this tour has been blown way out of proportion. The Lions players have had a weeks training at altitude, have had simulated altitude training, and also have had this week training at altitude also. So there shouldnt be a large gap between the springboks and the lions.

Agree that its not as big an issue as media will have it but I'll point out that the Lions have not been training at altitude this week. They train in Pretoria for the first time today with the captain's run. They've been in Cape Town all week.

TarfHead

Justind wrote: »

.. They've been in Cape Town all week.

Which is the NZ approach - arrive either one day before, or 8 days before.

Amabokke

TarfHead wrote: »

Does living in Pretoria, or some other location significantly above sea-level, provide a sustainable cariovascular advantage ?

If so, the Transvaal players should have a permanent advantage over other players, yet they don't seem to. The Blue Bulls were very impressive in the S14 final, but they had a spine of world-class players.

The Springboks have been in and aroud sea level for the last couple of weeks. Does this mean when they get to Pretoria, they too will have to acclimatise ?

In short, does playing above sea-level provide a real advantage to the Springboks ?

It's easier to breath down below. But since I grow up in Blue Bull area it wouldn't make a difference to me. John Smith this morning mentioned that the Sharks players are struggling with the altitude and breathing. He mentioned that it does not make a bit of difference practising with masks or stay down below altitude 1 day before the match you still get affected.

anonymous_joe

Brazil and Argentina's experiences at altitude are interesting.

Argentina got thrashed 6-1 by Bolivia in recent months. Usually the last half hour of a football match is when the altitude's effects kick in.

Ciaran-Irl

If it helps to train at altitude and then go down to sea level to perform / compete, why don't other sportspeople do altitude training for Olympics or whatever for the benefit it gives?

Should we have the whole Irish team training for next year's 6 nations with weird marks on?!

yimrsg

Simon Austin's blog on the bbc mentions the training the lions have done for the altitude going over 3000m simulated. Sorry if the link to the bbc is frowned upon!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/simonaustin/2009/06/dizzying_heights.html

It's a good read and just shows the level of preparation that has gone in especially for the last two tests at altitude. Would also infer that the later injury call ups to the squad might not get much game time as their bodies would not have been used to the conditions. Also from personal experience, the effects of altitude (just felt like sluggish and hungover without the headache) on me occurred when only above 3000m but I wasn't playing test rugby!

Also think that the conditioning the lions have underwent versus the natural attributes from growing up in the highveld would possibly cancel each other out. Low oxygen environments are nothing new in sports, I recall David Beckham sleeping in an oxygen tent to help heal his metatarsal in time for the worldcup 2002. Something to do with your body increasing red blood cell production in order to carry more oxygen, ultimately decreasing the healing time.

Noffles

yimrsg wrote: »

Simon Austin's blog on the bbc mentions the training the lions have done for the altitude going over 3000m simulated. Sorry if the link to the bbc is frowned upon!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/simonaustin/2009/06/dizzying_heights.html

It's a good read and just shows the level of preparation that has gone in especially for the last two tests at altitude. Would also infer that the later injury call ups to the squad might not get much game time as their bodies would not have been used to the conditions. Also from personal experience, the effects of altitude (just felt like sluggish and hungover without the headache) on me occurred when only above 3000m but I wasn't playing test rugby!

Also think that the conditioning the lions have underwent versus the natural attributes from growing up in the highveld would possibly cancel each other out. Low oxygen environments are nothing new in sports, I recall David Beckham sleeping in an oxygen tent to help heal his metatarsal in time for the worldcup 2002. Something to do with your body increasing red blood cell production in order to carry more oxygen, ultimately decreasing the healing time.

Why would a link to the BBC be frowned upon, it's a vast website with information on loads of subjects?

yimrsg

Noffles wrote: »

Why would a link to the BBC be frowned upon, it's a vast website with information on loads of subjects?

Didn't want to be accused of shilling!
:pac:

anonymous_joe

Burn the traitor!

Interesting article though.