Whenever the Jets play a game in Denver, this become a storyline the week of the game.
How will the players deal with the rarified air of Denver. In other words, playing in high altitude. At 5,280 elevation, Denver’s high altitude is a big transition from sea level.
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who was a very good linebacker for San Jose State, Hawaii and the San Francisco 49ers, played in these conditions, and thinks the impact on players is blown a little out of proportion.
“In all honesty, and this might sound like coach talk, I always felt like the bigger deal the coaches made of it and the organization made of it when I played out there, because I played in Denver multiple times, the bigger deal it was,” Ulbrich said. “The less deal you made of it, the less deal it was. So, it’s not something that we can control at all, so we’re going to go out there and play our brand of football. That’s it.”
For Jets fans making the trip, here are two tips for dealing with mountain air from Denver.org:
Drink Water
Before your trip to Denver, and while you are here, drinking plenty of water is the best way to help your body adjust easily to our higher altitude. The low humidity in Colorado keeps the air dry, like the desert, so you need about twice as much water here as you would drink at home closer to sea level. Dehydration is a contributor to altitude sickness, in addition to the obviously reduced blood oxygen saturation levels.
Eat Foods High in Potassium
Foods such as broccoli, bananas, avocado, cantaloupe, celery, greens, bran, chocolate, granola, dates, dried fruit, potatoes and tomatoes will help you replenish electrolytes by balancing salt intake.
