Captain Marc Murphy headlines the squad of 31 players who are taking part in the camp at Flagstaff.
Carlton’s High Performance Manager David Buttifant says despite recent scepticism of benefits of altitude training, he remains a strong advocate.
“I had the opportunity prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics where I was involved with some swimmers in going to altitude for a month,” Buttifant said.
“That’s where I first saw the actual benefits it could have on elite sport – particularly team sport.”
One of those benefits, Buttifant says, is fast-tracking a player’s fitness base, whereby achieving the same result in a shorter timeframe than it would take at sea level.
He says it might only seem like a small advantage, but in the cut and thrust of the AFL season, it can make a difference.
“At the elite level if you can get two or three per cent change, you take that,” Buttifant said.
“I think the thing is, we know the benefits, now the research is quite validated in having a positive outcome towards performance.
“I am a believer in it – obviously Carlton went last year and a lot of the players are strong believers in it as well.”
Stay tuned to the Carlton website – we’ll be providing regular updates on the team’s journey through our 2013 Arizona Training Camp News Hub.
