The Ultimate Professional

[Porthoz]

I strongly dislike the Storm, but this is one of the reasons they keep performing at the highest level:

LINK

 

[Nashy]

For all that high altitude football here in Australia?

 

[Porthoz]

For all that high altitude football here in Australia?

No, because high altitude training is more demanding on the body and results in higher fitness when back to sea level performance...

 

[m1c]

eeehh - more than debatable. It's a bit gimmicky and working at high altitudes invokes different physiological responses compared to those observed at sea level. Unless you spend regular time at such heights there's a strong case that the benefits are negligible.

 

[Nashy]

I would have thought the body would re-adjust as soon as it was made aware that he never planned on that sort of thing at a high height again. Wouldn't it just be a more demanding work out than if you were at sea level.

Me being an expert on fitness and looking after your body and all.

 

[Bull Shark]

Athletes / sportspeople like Cooper Cronk are my favourite kind - ie self-made types who barely created a ripple early on in their careers but worked their butts off to become outstanding.

 

[Bull Shark]

eeehh - more than debatable. It's a bit gimmicky and working at high altitudes invokes different physiological responses compared to those observed at sea level. Unless you spend regular time at such heights there's a strong case that the benefits are negligible.

reckon you'll find its equal parts the altitude training + fact finding ... The US is an awesome learning experience for any professional sportsperson from Australia in terms of physical preparation / management...

 

[Porthoz]

I'm by no means an expert in fitness, but people who are say that the effects are actually quite significant.

Truth be told, the body eventually adjusts back once the effects of oxygen richer air subside, so without regular training at heights, the benefit will vanish. Although there is really no way to know how long each individual will benefit. Fact is, they all do!

And the point is not so much about the training at heights, but the merit Cronk deserves for his professionalism and attitude. Like Bull Shark said, he was never a flashy player early on in his career, nor is he that gifted, but hard work and discipline is what made him what he is today.

 

[subsbligh]

How effective are "high altitude" rooms in gyms these days compared with the real thing?

 

[Coxy]

Having climbed Kilimanjaro, and being a bit of a sports nut at the time I can attest to the short term benefits of being at altitude. When I came back from Kili (where I was above 3000m altitude for 6 days), I was amazed how much easier I found Oztag games/training. I wouldn't get as breathless after a sprint, and would recover much quicker. Which surprised me, because my African trip was 3 weeks of not running. At all (OK, I lie, I did run away from some Maasai trinket sellers that were harassing me for my US dollars once...)

I found the effects lasted maybe 4 weeks after returning to sea level.

Bear in mind though there are gyms that have "altitude rooms" where they lower the pressure and oxygen levels so it simulates to some degree training at altitude. Theoretically if you trained at altitude for real for a while to get that initial benefit, and then had say 1-2 training sessions a week in an "altitude room" you might be able to maintain whatever that physiological change to your body is (relates to size/number of red blood cells which cling on to the oxygen IIRC).

My boss, who also recently climbed Kili, did training in those altitude rooms before he left...however, he still suffered from altitude sickness and didn't notice any real benefit. So I don't know how effective those rooms are at truly simulating the altitude effect. But still, it's an interesting thought.

 

[OXY-351]

Having climbed Kilimanjaro, and being a bit of a sports nut at the time I can attest to the short term benefits of being at altitude. When I came back from Kili (where I was above 3000m altitude for 6 days), I was amazed how much easier I found Oztag games/training.

I spent 3 weeks at a similar altitude in the Andes last year (was up to 5000m for a few days). It's amazing how much harder on the body everything is at altitude. I would get puffed just walking up stairs. I thought it was just me being unfit after spending a week partying in vegas prior to heading to Sth America, but everyone else I was with, some of who were pretty fit guys, all noticed how much harder it is with less oxygen in the air.

You feel so much fitter coming back down to sea level, even if only mentally.

 

[Alec]

Regardless of how much physically it benefits you in the long term, it's still a great experience and you'll still gain something mentally from pushing yourself in more difficult conditions.

 

[Coxy]

I spent 3 weeks at a similar altitude in the Andes last year (was up to 5000m for a few days). It's amazing how much harder on the body everything is at altitude. I would get puffed just walking up stairs. I thought it was just me being unfit after spending a week partying in vegas prior to heading to Sth America, but everyone else I was with, some of who were pretty fit guys, all noticed how much harder it is with less oxygen in the air.

You feel so much fitter coming back down to sea level, even if only mentally.

Yeah, it's bloody tough. Summit night we climbed from camp at 4600m to the summit at 5895m over a 6-7 hour period. It was relentlessly slow, tediously trudging up a steep scree slope. Every step was an effort though, let alone having to blow air back through your hydration tube so the water didn't freeze in it... I failed. I went for about 4 hours of the walk without water because it had frozen solid.

Man it was tough.

 

[m1c]

I'm by no means an expert in fitness, but people who are say that the effects are actually quite significant.

Truth be told, the body eventually adjusts back once the effects of oxygen richer air subside, so without regular training at heights, the benefit will vanish. Although there is really no way to know how long each individual will benefit. Fact is, they all do!

.

Actually, fact is there's nothing outside of anecdotal evidence linking altitude training to improved performance at sea level. The problem is the adaptation trade-off that occurs when you're exposed to higher altitudes. RBC production and count improves, however blood plasma volume decreases to the point where you actually have less blood in your system.

The problem for mine, is that at altitude VO2 Max actually decreases. So you're working at sub-maximal efforts.

The only benefits that can be derived are through sleeping high and training low.

It's great for a change up, and the placebo effect could be worthwhile, however the jury is still out on the physiological benefits.

 

[The Brizz]

Cronk is seriously the ultimate professional, I would kill to have a player with half his dedication to his craft and his fitness at the Broncos in the halves. If Wallace gives 100% at training and in games this guy gives 1000%

 

[Bucking Beads]

Great stuff from Cronk. Really is a true professional. I am actually surprised NRL clubs haven't started doing big pre-season camps like the AFL clubs do. Wonder if it would enhance fitness levels enough to justify the cost.