Jake White, director of rugby of the Vodacom Bulls is a firm believer that high altitude does have an effect on the performance of sportsmen that normally train at sea level or low altitude. However this past weekend the visiting URC all played a lot "better" during the second half of the games than their hosts which could suggest that their fitness levels are much better than the local teams or that the effect of altitude is an "urban" legend.
Loftus Versveld is 1372m above sea level. Scientists and researchers have shown that "aerobic exercise capacity is reduced by about 10% per 1 006m of altitude gain above 1494m. [It's reduced further] by 30% at 4481m compared to sea-level performance,”
Ellispark is at 1,724 metres the highest international rugby ground and there is approximately only 82 per cent of the oxygen available compared with sea level. Everyone breathes faster and deeper, increasing basal metabolic rate and heart rate.
Jake White admitted to being taken aback by how well Munster adapted to the Pretoria altitude as they finished strongly in their 29-24 defeat to the Vodacom Bulls.
“Who would have thought that an overseas team like Munster, playing at altitude and in the heat, would have finished as well as they did? At 29-3, no one could have predicted the end score would be as close as it was, but it just shows that you can take nothing for granted, and also just how tough this competition is.
“Full credit to Munster, they adapted well in the second half and managed to slow our ball down. They’re a quality side and very well-coached, and they showed that in the end.”
Munster's head coach said: "We’ve got a massive belief in not only this squad but also at the club that we are never out and with two minutes to go I was disappointed that we didn’t keep the ball to go and win this game. It was a good advert for the URC with two very good teams and in terms of our fitness, we back our fitness, but time caught us tonight.”
Cardiff's head coach who had an equally impressive second half at Ellispark said: “I thought the players did really well in the conditions but they did feel it. We’d be lying to say they didn’t. The boys have worked hard on their conditioning and I was pleased with how we stuck in the game. So the altitude wasn’t a real factor or reason why we lost the game."
Altitude or fitness levels? Maybe our local URC teams have some work to do?