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16 • Touchline • Issue 16
Let’s talk about that trailblazing. Your work at Collingwood led
to the club being one of the first teams involved in altitude
training. Can you talk us through what that involves and what
the perceived benefits are?
I was fortunate enough to go to Flagstaff Arizona to an altitude
training camp with swimmers back in 2000 on the eve of the
Olympics. It was really where I cut my teeth. In that experience,
being involved in a lot of testing and monitoring of the athletes,
I really saw the benefits from that and also how it changed how
athletes perform. It’s something that really provided a lot of
advantage.
I mentioned to Mick Malthouse
(Collingwood coach at the time), I said
‘look, this is something that could really
provide us a bit of an advantage. And
make us 2-3 per cent better, because
at the elite level, it’s so close. This is
something that we could do that could
give us a bit of an advantage out of
our players that could enhance their
aerobic characteristics, but also provide
psychological benefits too, in coping with
the stresses of altitude.
So we embarked on this, injected
resources and we used our strategies to
be able to support it. As a result, each
year we’ve been to altitude, we’ve made
finals and it’s been reasonably successful
for us; playing finals and getting the best
out of the players.
In what other sports can you see the benefits for altitude
training?
I think the hybrid sports, particularly. When you look at
basketball, soccer, the aerobic component is still reasonably high.
I think they’re a little bit behind, say, the running, the cycling, the
swimming and rowers as well. Team sports can definitely get
an advantage particularly if they’re living in an altitude region
where it’s not difficult to get to. Indoor sports, like basketball,
will get some massive benefits as well.
How do AFL clubs’ sports science programs compare with some
of the world’s other great teams, say, Liverpool in the EPL, Kerry
in the Gaelic with 30-odd premierships, Miami Heat; how does it
compare?
I recently just got back from New York from the Leaders
Performance Conference, and there were a lot of elite
organisations over there – the NFL, EPL, ice hockey, NBA. I have
to say with the facilities that we have and the resources that
we have, I think the AFL is definitely leading the sports science
in terms of the resources, the amount of staff – it’s like a micro
industry of sport. We set up the structure and ensure there is a
collaborative manner. Once you have the collaborative manner,
you do your R&D, you get the competitive advantage. It’s not
sports science, it’s sport performance, it’s operating on one side
and reaching that goal together and working together.
Some critics say that altitude training is a form of technological
doping, in that it gives an unfair advantage. I guess we can’t
ensure everyone has the same boots, the same diet, etc. How do
you respond to something like that?
There’s always something that gives
someone an advantage, because they
had access to resources. You look at
some of the third world countries that
don’t have access to the technology,
resources, coaches, nutrition information
and supplements that some athletes do
have. Is that a disadvantage? Well, it is
to a certain degree, but really as long as
it’s within the realms of fairness, then it’s
fine. Many years ago, I can’t remember the
exact date, drinking water throughout a
marathon was looked upon as cheating.
It’s like people having access to
carbohydrates, and some people don’t
have access to carbohydrates. We
know the actual effects it can have on
performance.
What advice would you give to sports administrators around the
world who perhaps don’t have access to elite facilities? What are
the key things they can do to get the best out of their athletes?
I think it’s not just the technology or the facilities, although
it does help. But it’s the people in the organisation, people
who believe the in the program you’re doing and working in
a collaborative manner, I think that’s really crucial. You’re all
working together, on the same page. You can still challenge one
another.
First you need the athlete with intrinsic motivation to succeed, to
want to be successful. You’ve got coaches who are there as well
who can facilitate that learning, and that development.
As long as you can work with the athlete, you can get those
adaptations that you’re after. They may not have access to carbo
knowledge , they may not have access to GPS or biochemical
markers. But sometimes it is an artistry of sports science that
helps determine whether you get the athlete to the next level.
Be intuitive, understand your athlete, know when to increase the
load or when to decrease the load - not just relying on objective
markers.
If you go down that
path, you’re not
just compromising
yourself, your family,
you’re compromising
the sport. ”