Cutting-edge research at altitude training conference

By Noimot Olayiwola/Staff Reporter The Aspetar Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital yesterday started a two-day Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference featuring industry leaders who are discussing practical strategies on how to utilise altitude training in preparation for major sporting events. Altitude training (hypoxia), which became popular following the dominance of altitude-acclimatised athletes during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City (2,400m) and early training experience in the US in the 1970s, is used to further enhance exercise performance at sea level or to acclimatise to competition at an altitude. The fundamental theory of altitude training is that by exposing an athlete to an environment that is low in oxygen, the body eventually adapts to the stress by improving efficiency in terms of transporting and using oxygen. The first day of the conference was graced by Fifa Medical Committee chairman Dr Michel D’Hooghe. He spoke on the topic, “Fifa Medical Vision Concerning Playing Football and Altitude”, during the opening session of the event, which was attended by Aspetar chief executive officer Dr Khalifa al-Kuwari, Aspetar assistant chief medical officer and National Sports Medicine Programme executive director Dr Hakim Chalabi, and Qatar-based research scientist Dr Olivier Girard. Dr Chalabi and Prof Karim Khan, director of the Research and Education Centre at Aspetar, chaired the session. A panel of international experts presented cutting-edge research on the basic and applied aspects of altitude training. During his presentation on the topic, “Is Altitude Training Beneficial for Performance?”, the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) Prof Chris Gore (department of physiology) reviewed a number of studies conducted at the AIS over the past 17 years, including attempts to investigate the effects of altitude training on subsequent race performance at sea level. He also discussed the concept of whether altitude training was potentially beneficial to team sports activities. Prof Gore said team sports required high levels of skill, decision- making and tactics. Demonstrating that altitude training would benefit a team’s game result “would be problematic”, he concluded. Another presentation, “Determinants of Team-Sport Performance: Implications for Altitude Training of Team-Sport Athletes”, by Exercise & Sports Science Australia director Prof David Bishop, highlighted that performance in most team-sports was dominated by technical and tactical proficiencies and why successful team-sports athletes must have highly-developed, specific and physical capacities, with expected benefits for team-sport performance. He said many team-sports have recently introduced altitude training in the belief that it can further enhance physical performance. “Till date, however, there is no published evidence showing improved team sports performance following altitude training, despite the often considerable expense involved,” he said. Other speakers yesterday were US-based senior scientist Prof Markus Amann, performance scientist from Canada Dr Francois Billaut, Swiss researcher Prof Carsten Lundby, Australian senior scientist Dr Philo Saunders, sports physiologist from Qatar Dr Martin Buchheit, and US lecturer Prof Robert Chapman. Eight young international investigators had the opportunity to present their winning abstracts yesterday. Strength and conditioning coach (Qatar) France Brocherie presented a practical session, “Demonstration of the Mobile Hypoxic Inflatable Simulation Equipment” being launched by Aspire for research purposes.