Overview
- Performance coach Antonio Pintus said the masks are used to determine players’ aerobic and anaerobic thresholds and current power during 15–20 minute stress tests.
- Staff can analyse VO2 max and fuel use in real time, allowing training loads to be tailored to each player as the season enters a decisive phase.
- The testing has been shifted from treadmills and bikes to football‑specific work on grass, which experts say saves time in‑season and may reduce soft‑tissue injury risk.
- Each portable Cosmed setup combines a face mask with a compact backpack that streams data via Bluetooth to staff devices, with reports citing a cost of about €30,000 per unit.
- Players shared images from the Valdebebas session on social media, including Trent Alexander‑Arnold, drawing wider attention to the method.