26/03/2013 12:00 AM “I think it’s incredible what Aspetar has done, to bring together the best of the best in altitude training. Dr Robert Chapman” Doha, Qatar (April 08, 2013) –Aspetar’s pioneering Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference came to a close on Monday, 25 March. The two-day symposium opened up new avenues for collaboration between top sports scientists in the industry and made significant progress towards determining the benefits of altitude training to team-sports athletes. An assortment of leading international experts, sport scientists, athletes and coaches gathered to take part in the conference, discussing the thought-provoking and ground-breaking presentations that were delivered throughout the two-day event. The conference concluded with the speakers and guests coming together to create a consensus statement. A variety of subjects were discussed by the panel, all of which fell under the overarching theme of “Is altitude training relevant to team-sports training performance?”. Speakers explored different areas of altitude training, including the potential advantages, as well as disadvantages, of applying altitude training to enhancing performance levels. Dr Robert Chapman, a visiting lecturer from the United States, summarised the conference, “I think the most important thing that has come out of the event is highlighting the potential differences in team-sports athletes versus endurance athletes. We have some very good data and some very good answers on individual sports and endurance athletes, but for team-sports it’s about defining the questions that we still need to answer so we can make those best practice recommendations.” He added, “I think it’s incredible what Aspetar has done, to bring together the best of the best in altitude training. It is a testament to Aspetar’s dedication to furthering existing research. So that is extremely positive from that standpoint.” Dr Chapman was joined by leaders in the field including Prof David Bishop, a research leader (sport) from Australia; Prof Grégoire Millet, a lecturer from Switzerland; Dr Laura Garvican, a physiologist from Australia; Prof Cartsen Lundby, a researcher from Switzerland; and Dr François Billaut, performance scientist from Canada.
Dr Olivier Girard Chair of the Scientific committee for the conference and an Aspetar researcher, reiterated Dr Chapman’s sentiment in his closing speech: “The conference has highlighted what isn’t yet known, and that will help us determine future studies.”
The conference also featured a demonstration of Aspetar’s brand-new Mobile Hypoxic Inflatable Simulation Equipment, which is comprised of a 45m-long tent for sprints and a 10x8m tent for small-sided games. One of only four in the world, not only is it the biggest, it is also the first one in the Gulf region.
The brand new equipment joins Aspetar’s existing hypoxic facilities – a purpose-built normobaric hypoxic dormitory with altitude levels that can range from 100 to 4,000 meters. Combined the simulation tents, Aspetar can now facilitate a “live-high-train-high” or “live-low-train-high” training regime.
The Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference is a testament to Aspetar’s commitment to developing research within the sports science industry and follows the organisation’s first Environmental Physiology conference titled “Exercise in hot environments: from basic concepts to field applications”, that was held in 2009.
Aspetar is the world’s leading specialised Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine hospital and the first in the Middle East. Based in Doha, Qatar, since 2007, the hospital provides top-level comprehensive medical treatment to all athletes in a state-of-the art facility that sets new standards internationally. In 2009 Aspetar was officially accredited as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence (F-MARC).
For more information, visit the event’s website at www.aspetar.com/altitudetraining