Altitude training is designed to directly enhance an athlete’s fitness and aerobic capabilities.
The rationale behind high altitude training is that the higher you go above sea level, the greater the level of stress that is placed on your body due to the lack of oxygen (the Arizona facility is approximately 2,000m above sea level). Because less oxygen is being carried to the muscles, the body has to produce more red blood cells to carry the oxygen.
This reaction is said to boost an athlete’s aerobic capacity, potentially giving them an edge on their competitors.
And there has been enough evidence to suggest that this is, in fact, the case.
Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan, who was experiencing some soreness midway through the 2011 AFL season, flew to Arizona during the team’s Bye Round and famously came back to win the Brownlow Medal.
This has prompted a number of clubs to follow suit.
But unlike some clubs, the Lions will be taking only a handful of senior players who the fitness and coaching staff believe would reap greater benefits from the exercise.
Senior Coach Michael Voss said the decision to send a smaller group was based on the Club’s specific pre-season program.
“We feel, at this point in time, that we can still get some significant gains in our players just by being here (in Brisbane),” Voss said.
“We’ve got some pretty favourable conditions here for getting our players fit quickly.”
“However there are some other guys with multiple pre-seasons under their belt who would probably benefit from the trip to Arizona.”
"They're probably at a different stage to where a lot of our other guys are, so we'll work them that way."
“We’ve probably gone a little bit more target specific this year, certainly with the eye in the future to be able to send the whole group over there when they’re ready.”
Senior players Simon Black, Jonathan Brown, Daniel Merrett and Jed Adcock are among those in the travelling party, together with fellow member of the Leadership Group Tom Rockliff.
21 year-old Rockliff, who is by far the youngest member of the touring group, said his experience would no doubt help determine whether larger groups of Lions are sent to Arizona in the future.
“I guess I’m going to be a bit of a guinea pig, but I might not be able to talk when I get back,” Rockliff joked.
“It’s going to be good for the footy club going forward.”
“I’ve got a few mates at other clubs who have gone to Arizona who have done the training and they seem to think it works.”
“If it worked for Dane Swan, I’m sure it will work for us.”
