Sea-level team, high-altitude edge

Of the 31 conferences in NCAA Division I, the Mountain West stands apart for one reason: altitude. More than in any conference, six Mountain West schools play their home games at elevations of 4,500 feet or higher: Wyoming (7,220), Air Force (7,200), New Mexico (5,312), Colorado State (5,004), Utah State (4,778) and Nevada (4,597).

Playing at altitude presents a physiological challenge for visiting teams accustomed to sea level, particularly late in games, when fatigue sets in.

Yet this season, San Diego State women’s basketball (18-4, 12-1 MW) has shown unusual resilience in these environments.

At Wyoming on Jan. 3, SDSU outscored the Cowgirls 35–20 in the second half, winning 72-55. At Utah State on Jan. 10, the Aztecs outscored the Aggies 26–16 in the fourth quarter, their highest-scoring quarter of the game, winning 73-72. And, against Colorado State on Jan. 28, SDSU scored more points in the fourth quarter than in any other quarter, and although the game was at best a defensive slog, they won 46-44.

The Aztecs have only played three games at altitude so the sample is small, but they have a higher average fourth quarter point differential at altitude, +2, than for their other conference games, at +.2.

One takeaway? In the conference with the greatest number of teams whose home courts are at altitude above 4500 feet, the sea-level Aztecs are staying strong and fit through the final buzzer. 

One possible contributor to that late-game stamina: beet juice.

Mark Kern, Professor and Coordinator of Foods and Nutrition at San Diego State University in the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, has followed the research on beet juice and athletic performance for nearly two decades. He says beet juice is particularly relevant for teams traveling from sea level to altitude.

“In a nugget, I think that, yes, it should be effective at altitude,” Kern said. “We spend most of our time at sea level, so when we go to altitude, we need to do whatever we can to get ready for it, and I think it’s a good choice.”

Beet juice is rich in dietary nitrates, which the body ultimately converts into nitric oxide.

“Nitric oxide does things like cause our blood vessels to expand, so we can deliver oxygen to the tissues better,” Kern said. “What seems to really be important is that it makes it so that we can exercise with less oxygen.”

That efficiency becomes critical at altitude.

“Oxygen is kind of at a premium,” Kern said. “So (beet juice) seems to really work well at altitude…Basketball players might (particularly benefit from) the advantages of getting higher nitric oxide.

The way the women’s basketball team administers beet juice, beginning seven days before games at altitude and continuing while on the road, aligns closely with existing research.

“The best studies used about a six-day period,” Kern said. “So, seven days is… even a little bit extra.”

For the players, beet juice is viewed as one piece of a larger preparation plan, but one they believe makes a difference.

“We take it seven days before we get ready to go and play at altitude,” Kaelyn Hamilton said. “I definitely think it does make a difference, though it’s just one of the many things that we do to prepare for games.”

Alyssa Jackson emphasized both the physical and mental components of the routine.

“I think it also creates a pattern for us, knowing that when we take this beet juice we mentally prepare ourselves … to go play at altitude. We know seven days from now, we’re going to go up there and play,” Jackson said. “That burning sensation that we feel kind of gets reduced when we’re taking that beet juice.”

CJ Latta, a transfer from Utah State who previously lived and played at altitude, said she noticed the impact after moving to sea level.

“When I came here for summer, and then I went home and I was doing workouts at home (at altitude), I was like, ‘Whoa. This feels different,’” Latta said.

She also believes beet juice helps most with muscular fatigue rather than breathing.

“When you get to altitude, I think the thing I noticed the most is it kind of like just drains your muscles,” Latta said. “My legs hurt really bad.”

“When I do that beet juice, I feel like it really helps those muscles of mine to be like, ‘Okay, I need to grab some more oxygen because I’m at a higher altitude.’”

Kern is careful to stress that beet juice is not a replacement for conditioning, hydration, or preparation. The players shared that the strength and conditioning coach James Chassin prepares them well for the altitude.

“We do this thing on the bike where for 20 seconds, you go all out, then you have a 10 second break, and you do that multiple times in a row, just to get your lungs ready for short sprints and recovering in a short period of time,” said Latta.

“The burn on the bike is what it is like playing at altitude,” said Jackson. “Our legs are burning. So, on that bike, it matches that.”

For SDSU, beet juice is one element in a comprehensive approach, but one that may help explain why the Aztecs continue to finish strong when oxygen is scarce and legs are heavy.

“I feel so confident going up to play at altitude,” said Hamilton. “I feel like all of our girls know what needs to be done.”

San Diego State moves to the reconfigured nine-team Pac-12 next year, joining Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Texas State, Utah State, and Washington State.

Although Utah State and Colorado State are above 4,500 feet and moving to the Pac-12 along with San Diego State, four high-altitude universities in the Mountain West, including the three with the highest elevations - New Mexico, Air Force, and Wyoming - are staying put.

What does the conference realignment mean for SDSU? Many fewer games at altitude.

Additionally, this year’s conference schedule in the Mountain West is unbalanced, meaning that teams play nine conference rivals two times (home and away) and two rivals just once. In SDSU’s case, the teams they play only one time are Utah State and New Mexico.

They defeated Utah State at elevation and won’t play them at home. Before that game, head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson was asked how the team prepares for playing at altitude. “Beet juice,” she replied, adding, “Before I became the head coach here at San Diego State, I'd never experienced altitude like this.”

Terry-Hutson may be thankful that the unbalanced schedule means one fewer game at elevation. The Aztecs already defeated New Mexico at home and avoid having to play them away, at 5,312 feet.

Next up at altitude, SDSU plays at Nevada on Saturday, and then ends their regular season on March 3 at Air Force. Those two high-elevation games are the last ones the team will play at those venues. Will there be beet juice in SDSU’s future? Very likely, but much less of it in the coming seasons.