Getting High for Performance

Getting into peak performance
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Ask a room full of coaches about the advantages or disadvantages of altitude training and you will get as many opinions as there are voices in that room. Ask a country what they do to prepare for the World Championships and you will also find an array of methods in a variety of locations.

Currently national teams are dispersed mainly throughout Europe and the northern hemisphere as they head into the final course of preparation. Those who believe altitude training is beneficial are currently situated at above 1800 metres at established training centres.

The idea behind training at altitude is the thinner air density at higher altitudes causes the body to develop more haemoglobin, the red protein that transports oxygen in the blood, and therefore the athlete increases their ability to carry oxygen around the body. The question is how much does it help and for how long as well as how individual athletes cope with the environment. Research at present is patchy and inconsistent especially for rowing.

FISA’s development director, Thor Nilsen saw 18 years of athletes through the altitude training centre at St Moritz in Switzerland and believes that it can be useful but only if all other elements of training have been done correctly. ?I believe it is the full preparation package that earns success,? says Nilsen. He calls it the ?St. Moritz effect? and sees it just as important as the altitude location. ?It’s a nice place, the surroundings are beautiful and people have a good time,? says Nilsen.

Research has been carried out by a number of countries including Norway, Australia and the former East Germany but each piece of research stands alone as methods, circumstances and controls vary. Coaches in rowing tend to rely on what has worked best for them in the past and with this the cross section of national team current locations finds a whole range of places and just as many reasons, altitude is only one of them.

Some choose locations because of familiarity, like the New Zealand team in Hazewinkel, Belgium and the Australian men in Varese, Italy. It is the place they go back to year after year. Convenience is another reason with the Italians staying at their national training centre in Piediluco, the Canadians remaining at their national centres until 10 days before the World Championships. Japan’s rowers head to Lake Tase-Ko to escape the Tokyo heat and humidity and the Spanish stay at their national training venue in Banyoles.

Altitude is the choice of the Australian women’s squad. They are currently settled in the Swiss mountain resort of St Moritz. Under former East German coach Harald Jarling this has been their European pre-World Championship since he became head coach. The Polish team also head to altitude at their regular retreat the summer resort of Zakopane and the Norwegians are at the Bulgarian altitude training camp of Belmeken.

Austria is a common destination with various national teams tucked away throughout the country. Part of the German women’s squad stay in Kaprun at altitude while men go to Malta (between Salzburg and Villach) and the Danish men stay in Völkermarkt.

Great Britain’s women will not see altitude. They prefer to fine-tune their boat speed on the calm waters of Breisach, Germay’s Rhine canal. Meanwhile the United States team are still being finalised and although a number are based at the national training centre in Princeton, USA, other team members are scattered mainly along the east coast at sea level.

The variation on training locations is the result of countless circumstances including financial considerations, convenience, athlete lifestyle and accessibility to name a few, but also because understanding of what is best for an athlete appears to be so specific to the individual. While Britain’s World and Olympic champions, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, choose altitude training as an integral part of their preparation, the Romanian team have seen plenty of gold medal success by simply staying at their training centre in Snagov.

?There is no one bible for training,? says Nilsen. ?Each nation has their own results from studies.? The consequence of the training will be seen late in August when crews line up for the World Championships in Milan, Italy.