England stars to sleep in altitude tents ahead of finals

England: England stars will soon begin their build-up to this summer's World Cup by sleeping in special altitude tents.

Fabio Capello's squad have been subjected to extensive tests over much of this season.

The results have shown that some of the players would benefit from starting to sleep in the tents at their homes in a bid to acclimatise to the high altitude conditions of South Africa.

England's players have been monitored by experts at the London Altitude Centre while on international duty this season.

Most of it has been done on site at the England team hotel in Hertfordshire.

This involves sitting on an exercise bike wearing a mask that is connected to a machine that filters the air and reduces the amount of oxygen the players can breathe in.

Players are measured first at sea level and then at the altitude of Johannesburg artificially set by the machine to see how the body responds. Those who have proven to be more susceptible to the adverse effects of high altitude will have the tents delivered to their homes as soon as possible.

Sleeping at altitude can prove just as effective as training at altitude and the state-of-the-art equipment can replicate the exact heights of the World Cup venues. The FA are keen to avoid any potential objections from Barclays Premier League clubs by first gaining their permission to supply the tents to individual players.

Yesterday experts at the London Altitude Centre declined the opportunity to comment but other national teams will be adopting such an approach to the tournament.

The tents are becoming popular with footballers who have them installed in their homes.

Manchester City's Craig Bellamy has an altitude chamber in his home to aid recovery from injury as well as boost fitness levels.