What’s happened: England have overcome several World Cup obstacles, but this mountain-sized altitude challenge up next might be their toughest yet. But Thomas Tuchel’s side are going to need to overcome it if they are to make the quarter-finals.
What’s been said: Well, quite frankly, a lot. It feels like every endurace athlete, coach and expert has had their say, and talk is suddenly about beetroot juice, ‘Bane’ masks, and breathing through straws – rather than who should play right-back or whether Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford should start. Maybe that’s a good thing…
Altitude explained: First things first, playing at altitude can bring significant challenges, particularly for those not used to the conditions. Heightened elevation means that the atmospheric pressure is lower, therefore the air is less dense with oxygen and so you will take in less oxygen with each breath, which means you fatigue much more quickly.
Adapting: Now this is not good news for Tuchel, but his players will also need longer to recover between bursts of intense activity. The cooler and drier air can also increase the rate of dehydration during exercise.
What can be done: Well, this is where things get interesting, and rather worrying for England, as there is unfortunately not much that can be done – as Tuchel himself admitted this week. Ideally, Tuchel and his squad would spend weeks getting used to thinner air, but that doesn’t work in a World Cup, with England flying to Mexico City on Friday, 48 hours before kick-off.
All is not lost: Despite the concerns and Tuchel saying his will be at a ‘huge’ disadvantage, there are things that can be done to aid performance rather than overcome the obstacles . Former athlete Steve Magness has very helpfully explained on his Substack what England might want to do.
First four points: The first four points he suggests are rather straightforward, as they cover hydration, fuelling with carbohydrates, ‘bicarbing’ up and protecting sleep. What does he mean by ‘bicarb’ up, you might ask. Sodium bicarbonate (bicarb) loading is a strategy used to buffer acid build-up and the best foods to eat include spinach, kale, carrots, lettuce, eggplant, potatoes, apples, oranges, raisins, beans, lentils and herbs.
Keeping things simple: As always, tactics and pacing will help; if England’s players can reserve energy and time their runs, that will stop them from getting tired too quickly. Half-time Expresso? Apparently a well-timed dose of caffeine, ideally to hit the second half, will also help aid performance.
Getting funky: Remember the fuss about Pickle Juice at Euro 2024? We have kept things simple, but now it is time to learn all about the benefits of beetroot juice. Not a drink often seen being consumed by England’s players, but it will help enhance their performance levels, as it ispacked with nitrates that boost nitric oxide, widen blood vessels to improve blood flow and muscle efficiency.
Adapting: Now there is some more good news. Heat and altitude affect the body in slightly different ways, and although it is unlikely that England’s players will adapt to altitude, they should be well used to the heat, having been in the US for a number of weeks now.
Sleep aids: The FA have certainly done their homework, having looked into how the altitude will affect the England players and spoken to teams from other sports as part of its research. England have decided against using any oxygen therapy training ahead of Monday’s game, but they have been using high-tech palm-cooling devices during their time in the US to combat the heat. While players and staff who have not brought their own sleeping devices, such as ear plugs or sleep bands, are to be offered, according to the BBC, natural sleep remedies or white noise audio machines to ensure sleep is not impacted during their time in Mexico.
