Intended for healthcare professionals

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Sport

Effect of altitude on physiological performance: a statistical analysis using results of international football games

BMJ 2007; 335 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39393.451516.AD (Published 20 December 2007) Cite this as: BMJ 2007;335:1278

Rapid Response:

The need for analysis of performance during match-play

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article which will no doubt
encourage researchers to build upon this existing research by exploring
some of the questions identified in this paper. I do however feel that
somewhere along the line a tactical analysis of play and physiological
analysis of movement during actual competition is required to build on our
existing knowledge of the effects of altitude on athletic performance. It
has previously been suggested that altitude would affect player work-rates
during competition as their aerobic capacity is reduced.1 An analysis of
work-rate information during match-play such as the distance run and high-
intensity activity of players not normally used to playing at altitude
would provide objective information on any possible reduction in
performance. It could also be used in planning work-rest strategies for
playing at altitude, with a view towards timing short periods in the game
for recovery to take place. Similarly, it would be useful to examine the
performance of teams such as Bolivia when they play at sea-level compared
to at altitude to examine whether they have a physical advantage over
other teams. Finally, a future study could also be pertinent for exploring
the results at altitude of teams from other continents not used to playing
in such conditions.

References
1. Carling, C, Williams, A & Reilly, T. (2005) The Handbook of Soccer
Match Analysis. London: Routledge, 2005

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

27 December 2007
Chris Carling
Head Sports Scientist
Lille Football Club (France)