It’s impossible to say. Even fitness professionals can’t agree on what effect an altitude training camp has, so fans really wouldn’t have a clue.
Lots of fighters use altitude training and it works, but not sure what benefit it would have for football. The reason it works for fighters is they have a one off event they can train for. They can tailor the camps perfectly for that one day. Football has an entire season. It's insanity to think work done 9-10 months earlier will have any benefit to our fitness in September.
I suppose if you had altitude facilities you could use throughout the season at your club it would be of a huge benefit but I think I read somewhere that doing it in the pre-season it only gives an advantage for 4-5 weeks until it finally wears off but I think most teams use it as a foundation for their fitness bases.
Once we get one at the training facilities will we be the only team in the league to have that at our disposal throughout a season?
Who knows.
Port's fitness coach has gone on record saying he is more of a fan of training in heat than altitude. A large benefit of any sort of intense training is the mental aspect as well, knowing that you can push yourself past where you thought you could. I'm not sure we have that at the moment so you really have to question the benefit of going to Colorado.
It's actually one of the major concerns I have with the club. I think our list is in fantastic shape, as good as any going around, but mentally we are bottom four. After each loss we have a heap of excuses why it happened. Injuries, short breaks, heat - it's nearly ALWAYS something out of our control.
I'd rather bring in a sports psychologist than spend the money on another trip to Colorado.
The purpose of the trip to Colorado was
1) Improve fitness by allowing us to train more effectively on our return as a result of improved aerobic capacity gained at high altitude.
2) Team bonding.
Is there any evidence one way or the other about the value of the experience after watching our performance in the pre season matches and the first six rounds?
If you think the issues with the team right now is closeness and fitness you have not been watching the games properly.
Alltitude training works...ask any MMA fighter who has had to fight at alltitude against someone who has had a training camp at alltitude. Ask the Denver Nuggets, or Utah Jazz about the advantage they have playing home games at alttitude.
The team just isn't as good as we thought or needs some major restructuring.
The opposition puts defensive pressure on until we turn the ball over and then they bolt. Our forward line and entries inside are still amatuerish and it means when we get a good change to score, we most likely won't unless it is a midfielder. Opposition coaches will be telling there players, pressure the ball, keep the midfielders off of the scoreboard.
Might be something to this. They did it a month later than last year, which was well into winter proper, and it was absolutely brutally cold.... like a 1 year in 10 type of cold snap that week.
How much training was actually done outdoors because of the snow. I assume there is a difference between training indoors and outdoors.
Far out we are even making excuses for our preseason now.
I think it's hard to measure because it wasn't the whole team, but in my opinion the seniors guys are pushing through games a lot better than the younger ones but is this related who knows...
Saying that if the gain was only 2% to 5% it might not be something the average fan can see. Maybe Hocking is pushing off players just that bit harder. Maybe Stanton can run an extra 2 or 3m when sprinting. Maybe Jobe is accelerating just a bit quicker.
Lol. Seriously.
I don't think the home-field advantage for altitude means as much as it used to, as players are all so much better conditioned these days.
The Nuggets at one time played the most high-tempo basketball ever attempted, under Paul Westhead, who was known for that sort of thing. They routinely broke scoring records... a lot of 170-160 kind of games. The schtick was that they would absolutely wear everyone else out. He had success with that kind of style at sea level with the Lakers and other places.. and then when you take it a mile above sea level, then it obviously becomes exaggerated.
It usually had the intended effect (an exhausted opponent), but it wasn't foolproof. They still lost to superior teams, in part because the players weren't necessarily the most talented on the court, just the fittest. And they didn't play defense.
The thing about altitude training is that it's effects don't last long. Like YT was saying it makes sense for a fighter or a triathlete to use altitude training as it's a once off event spanning a day or two, but for a competition like the AFL the effects of the training wouldn't last long enough to have a big impact (or any at all).
None of the fluff videos made it look like hard work at all either.
I was at the True Value Solar Centre a couple of weeks ago and was lucky enough to get a (full) tour. There is indeed an altitude simulation room (if that's the name...) inside the hangar. The artificial ground is in the hangar, which is adjacent to a basketball court, which is adjacent to the gym and an empty rood which will become the altitude room. It will cost a hundred G's from memory and does not replace the Colorado trip. Instead they bugger off to Colorado, get fit, and then can use the room to sustain those benefits. I'm not sure they can continue the extra bonus infinitely (you'd imagine not) or just keep that boost going for a lot longer (probably the case) but that's what it's for. I'd say the Colorado trip is here to stay.
Reading the research, the opinions by the experts are varied. I wonder if its all about perception. What you believe, you believe.
No point being the fittest if you aren't going to use it during the game.Coaches bring players off on a regular basis and many wouldn't have drawn a breath. I'd rather we spend a good part of the pre season working on tackling so they actually stick.
Based on my limited knowledge acquired from sports science in high school, the effects of high altitude training are said to be very short term so it would be foolish to think that it would have any lasting effect beyond the couple of weeks of training they have when they get back.
Having said that, I'm sure that they have been further studies done that have said otherwise as the likes of Doc Reid would not be wasting club expenses on something arguably useless.
I have no idea about the benefits (or lack of) of altitude training.
What I do know is that the AFL basket case of two years ago is now on top of the ladder. They look big, strong and fit and are running out games strongly.
Their fitness guy thinks altitude training is a croc and prefers some other method (heat training I think).
Is there a correlation? Dunno, but makes you think.
I thought we won flights ? Hence why we took a larger group as one of the major costs was reduced to nothing. Correct me if I’m wrong
No use being fit to play at altitude, without having a functional forward line.
I have no idea about the benefits (or lack of) of altitude training.
What I do know is that the AFL basket case of two years ago is now on top of the ladder. They look big, strong and fit and are running out games strongly.
Their fitness guy thinks altitude training is a croc and prefers some other method (heat training I think).
Is there a correlation? Dunno, but makes you think.
Is this the same team that went to Saudi Arabia or some shyeet only to be there for their coldest summer week in 10 years or something?
Can we have the equivalent skills and intelligence improvement camps please.
Is this the same team that went to Saudi Arabia or some shyeet only to be there for their coldest summer week in 10 years or something?
I have no idea about the benefits (or lack of) of altitude training.
What I do know is that the AFL basket case of two years ago is now on top of the ladder. They look big, strong and fit and are running out games strongly.
Their fitness guy thinks altitude training is a croc and prefers some other method (heat training I think).
Is there a correlation? Dunno, but makes you think.
Abu Dhabi
They were run into the ground over there. Read an article about their training today, they were smashed harder than any team Burgess has worked with.
I think we need an "attitude" camp rather than a altitude camp.
First name on the list would be Zaharakis closely followed by Carlisle.
The altitude room is currently being constructed. It's inside the hangar.Don't know about the time frame, but will there be altitude rooms there - yes.
Is this a serious post?We will have our own altitude facilities at Tulla in weeks. No need to go there again.
Yep, and the Coffee Shop will be selling space cakes and shrooms from June 1 to keep the Colorado buzz real.