How Altitude impacts players and how to overcome negative effects in Matches

Today we will understand how playing football in very high places can harm athletes' performance, and why this happens, in addition to demystifying some things about the subject.

As you move away from sea level and increase your altitude, atmospheric pressure drops. This means that the density of the air becomes lighter and lighter, the oxygen molecules are no longer so close together, which makes it difficult for you to breathe.

Contrary to what many people think, you don't have less oxygen in the air in high places, you just can't breathe as much air at altitude as you would at sea level.

At altitude, when you breathe, your lungs fill with less oxygen. And with less oxygen, your body works with less energy, making any physical exercise much more laborious than normal, and in more serious cases, an athlete can suffer from headaches and nausea, even dizziness.

O International Olympic Committee has a metric to classify altitudes to help athletes prepare for events in very high places.

From 0 to 500 m: “Close to sea level” – no problems in physical performance.

From 500 m to 2000 m: “Low Altitude” - Some problems may be detected in the physical performance of some athletes.

From 2000 m to 3000 m: “Altitude Moderara” or “Mal das Montanhas” - It is expected that the physical performance of athletes will be impaired, acclimatization is recommended.

From 3000 m to 5500 m: “High Altitude” - The athletes' physical performance is extremely impaired and acclimatization is mandatory.

From 5500 m: “Extreme Altitude” - Prolonged exposure to these altitudes can lead to acute clinical cases.

Natives of very high places, they have bodies with more red blood cells in their blood, facilitating blood oxygenation. With more red blood cells, your blood has more capacity to transport oxygen to your organs, greatly improving your physical capacity in high places.

The effect of “Mountain Sickness” in our body worsens in the first few days exposed to very low atmospheric pressure. The critical period is between 24h and 72h of exposure, depending on how unaccustomed the athlete is, it can take up to 5 days to adapt completely even using devices such as oxygen pumps and medications such as chewing coca leaves.

Because of this, many sports delegations use the strategy of arriving “short notice” in games, so that their players do not suffer from the effects of these 24 to 72 hours of exposure to very low atmospheric pressure.

Complete acclimatization above 3000 m can take up to two weeks.

Aclimation

The most recommended preparation is acclimatization, that is, arrive well in advance at the location where the match will be played, so that players can get used to the environment.

This topic generates several heated discussions between sports delegations from Brazilian teams, against delegations from teams from high countries such as Bolivia. Well, the schedule of a professional football team is very tight, and most of the time the players don't have time to spend 2 weeks acclimating in another country.

Football players native to high countries, as well as members of sports committees from these places, already have their bodies prepared to deal with extreme altitudes. And when they play at low altitudes, they suffer no physical consequences.

However, teams from high countries have every right to compete at their home, close to their fans, in their stadium.

In any case, it is common during the liberators season to discuss whether or not “it is humane” to expose athletes to these atmospheric pressure conditions in such a sudden and abrupt way. After all, the athlete needs, in addition to adapting, to perform at a high level, even when exposed to extreme altitude.

Supplements and diet

Any player exposed to altitude must consume supplements that help minimize the effects of altitude. These are medicines that help vasodilation.

It is common for players to also consume medication anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories and adopt a diet rich in carbohydrates to increase glycogen reserves in the body, helping with muscle fatigue during training, as the body is demanding more than normal.

Other measures

All sports delegations treat altitude in different ways.

Flamengo, for example, has the habit of arriving “at the last minute” and leaving the country right after the match, to reduce the effects of the altitude.

Some delegations take a “rest day” without physical exercise in the first few days of acclimatization.

Another measure would be lots of hydration and the consumption of teas.

The most common and well-known measure is chewing coca leaves, the plant serves as an analgesic that inhibits symptoms of sickness and altitude sickness.

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