Altitude-Gate? Patriots Early Landing Won't Give Them An Oxygen Edge

(CBS4) - Most teams who travel to Denver to take on the Broncos simply show up the day before a game. But for this week's playoff tilt, the Patriots thought an extra day just might give them the edge in adjusting to the altitude -- so come Friday, it was an early New England "Welcome to DIA and The Mile High City."

But does that extra day really pay pulmonary dividends? Well, the first thing you need to ask is does altitude actually even affect football players ... and if it does, will extra oxygen help? And what about this early arrival business? Actually, there has been a lot of research done on these questions. And here are the answers:

One: because football is a stop-and-go sport, playing at mile-high altitude has very little, if any, effect on your speed, stamina, and endurance. It's the same for basketball or hockey. I mean think about all of those teams who come in to play the Nuggets and Avs. Now -- running a marathon -- that's a different story since that's continuous exertion -- 24.2 miles worth of no stopping allowed.

Two: how about coming into town a couple of days early to get acclimated? Ah, I don't think so. The magic number where early arrival might help is 7,500 feet. That's why we tell out-of-town skiers to hang out in Denver for a couple of days before heading to the hills to lessen the risk of altitude sickness. I will tell you -- your body does make some adjustments when you move to Denver and stay here a spell. Your body manufactures more blood cells -- but that takes about two-three weeks -- not two-three days.

Which brings us to the oxygen masks. Extra oxygen. Does that really help at all? The science says ….no. Sucking down oxygen on the sideline does not give you a boost for the next series of play. Why? Because your blood cells can only handle a certain amount of oxygen -- and that's what you breathe in. Extra oxygen from a tank just goes back into the mask and winds up being a waste of good air. That extra oxygen only helps the psyche, not the lungs. But unscientifically, I've heard Denver really doesn't have much air. Only so much to go around. Those of us that live here are used to it and do just fine. But come from the flatlands, and oh, boy. That could spell trouble. Gasping. Wheezing. No energy to run, tackle, or throw a football -- even one that's got the proper amount of air in it. I feel trouble for those out-of-towners.

But thanks for stopping by, just the same. As the train says: "Welcome to Mile High Denver." (Oxygen deficient Mile High Denver).

Maybe a few extra O2 tanks and masks aren't such a bad idea, especially come the fourth quarter. You might even want to wear them on the field. Good luck!