Prof to rescue If you want to learn about the effect of high altitude on athletic performance, a university is a good place to start. In the BYU physical education department, I find Dr. Phil Allsen, an exercise physiologist, who has taught here since 1966. Allsen once taught BYU coach Lavell Edwards, who has a Ph.D. in physical performance. Altitude begins to affect a well-conditioned athlete at 3,000 feet, Allsen says. The higher you go, the more effect it has.
Football is played in quick, anaerobic bursts.
In other words, the high altitude will affect a distance runner much more than a football player. In football, higher altitudes can affect performance on a succession of quick plays, especially when you get to the fourth quarter. In other words, in the two-minute drill, defensive linemen constantly rushing the passer can run out of gas more quickly. Still, Allsen believes the mistake many visitors make is putting too much emphasis on the high altitude. The biggest effect is strictly psychological.