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When the World Anti-Doping Agency hears the words “increase red blood cells”, it starts to get jittery. That’s why in 2007 it considered banning training at high altitude or replicating high altitude as they can increase the production of red blood cells.
But because the increase is marginal and is a natural response to standing on a mountain top looking like an idiot for an extended period (and not a result of injecting EPO or performing blood transfusions), it was permitted.
I had always suspected that Collingwood’s sports science director David Buttifant didn’t really believe in altitude training; that he talked Mick Malthouse into believing it was beneficial so that could get free trips to the US.
So when he announced earlier this month that he had contributed to an academic paper proving that it enhances the performance of footballers, I was sceptical.
Also, for a sports scientist Buttifant can at times be rather …well, unscientific. In his previous publishing effort ,The Ox is Slow But the Earth is Patient, he comes across as Kung Fu Master Po conveying “that mysterious spiritual quality that transforms a collection of good individuals into a champion team”.
But no, apparently the aforementioned paper was a true scientific study (albeit in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University – can I say that?) of 19 Collingwood players who after returning from a 20-day high-altitude camp in Arizona showed a 3.6 percent increase in their red blood cell count, and in running outperformed a control group, who had remained at home, by 2.1 per cent.
The players were able to train harder than the control group for approximately four weeks before the effects wore off.
The problem is that by publishing the findings in The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Buttifant has effectively blown the competitive advantage the training may have given the club.
Collingwood set a precedent when they first went on an altitude camp in 2005 and the other teams, or at least those who can afford it, have started following suit. Most, if not all clubs, at least use hyperbaric chambers.
Poor Melbourne, who lodged a meagre profit of $19,000, were forced to hitchhike to Darwin for their pre-season. “We are not ruling out altitude in the future, but we are going down the heat and humidity line for now”, commented coach Mark Neeld, as if they had a choice.
The cash strapped Western Bulldogs have been staying at Victoria University’s ‘Altitude Hotel’ in low-oxygen living quarters but train in normal conditions. It has been argued that this “live high train low” approach is in fact superior to remaining at high altitude because the intensity of training is greater.
Carlton travelled to Qatar in the Middle East last year to do the same thing.
North Melbourne have been to Utah three years running but strangely coach Brad Scott seems reluctant to mention the red blood cells, just skill development.
And St Kilda have been traipsing around the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with Stephen Milne accosting the poor local university students with his microphone and juvenile questions such as: “Have you heard of Stephen Milne? Ha ha ha!”
I’m already fed up with clubs discussing their high altitude training. Buttifant’s damn paper is only going to see the practice expand. I propose a return to good old fashioned pre-season training methods like dragging a spare tyre around or carrying bricks.
At sea level.
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