Effects of Altitude on Rate of Perceived Exertion for Breathing & Legs of Major League Soccer Players Who Are Based at Sea Level

Results - RPE Breathe

This graph show RPE Breathe and how players are impacted from sea level to altitude on a match day.

RPE Breathe goes up noticeably when altitude rises from sea level.

  • RPE Breathe mean for sea level is 79.6, and the mean at altitude is higher at 86.2 on a match day

  • This indicates they’re experiencing noticeably more breathing difficulty during matches played at altitude.

  • adjusting training loads, emphasizing recovery, and preparing players mentally and physically for increased match-day strain.

    This is a scatter plot with a confidence interval showing the impact on RPE Breathe as altitude climbs from sea level on a match day.

  • The scatter plot shows a trend: as altitude increases, so does RPE Breathe.

  • Some individuals are reporting higher RPE Breathe scores than others, showing they may be more susceptible to altitude, so their responses should be flagged, monitored, and considered alongside the team average.

This is a comparison of impact of altitude on RPE Breathe for players on the pitch for less than 70 minutes and more than 70 minutes.

  • This graph compares the mean RPE Breathe for players who spent less than 70 minutes on the pitch versus those who played for 70 minutes or more on match day, separated by sea level and altitude. The data set only includes those individuals on the pitch longer than 60minutes.
  • When playing at sea levels all players were on the pitch for longer than 70minutes, which could demonstrate less need for later substitutions at sea level.

  • The mean for players on over 70 minutes at sea level is 79.6 compared to at altitude 87.8 and shows a raise in RPE Breathe at altitude for players on the pitch longer.

  • This suggests that prolonged match exposure at altitude correlates with increased RPE Breathe, and it may be beneficial to consider earlier second-half substitutions to help mitigate this effect.

    RPE Legs

    The data from RPE Legs was analysed in the same way as RPE Breathe but the results appeared to show that altitude did not have an impact on RPE Legs compared to games played at sea level. The mean for RPE Legs at sea level was 82.9 and higher than that of altitude at 77.8.

    The scatter plot with a confidence interval demonstrates the correlation between RPE Breathe and RPE Leg on match day, showing the relationship between RPE Breathe and RPE Leg.

    • Although RPE Legs at altitude did not seem to rise compared to sea level, paradoxically there is a correlation that it does rise with increase RPE Breathe. This may suggest that it altitude does impact RPE Legs albeit indirectly which is something to consider.

    Conclusion

Players reported higher RPE Breathe when playing at altitude compared to sea level, especially those who spent more time on the pitch. This suggests that altitude may increase the overall physical load on the body, and it’s worth considering this when planning training, substitutions, and recovery. The trend was clear—RPE Breathe rose with altitude, and some players reported higher RPE Breathe than others. These individual responses should be monitored, as they may be more affected by altitude than the rest of the group.