The £60 pills England stars are taking to get ready to win the World Cup: How scientists are getting Harry Kane and Co ready to beat the heat in America
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As England prepare for the sweltering conditions expected at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, Thomas Tuchel had adopted an unorthodox approach.
The temperatures in Dallas, Monterrey and several other host cities regularly exceed 30°C, and Tuchel wants his players to get used to baking in the sun ahead of next summer's tournament.
This week, humidity in Dallas was at a lung-reducing 93 per cent and the thermometer logged 33°C. Meanwhile, Girona - where England's current week-long training camp is located - was at 60 per cent humidity with temperatures of 25°C.
That is why England's players have swapped the training pitch green for a manufactured environment to test their resolve in high-heat conditions.
During 45-minute high-intensity bike sessions inside a 36°C tent, FA sports scientists have been scanning real-time data to see how each player's body copes with heat.
And the key piece of technology behind the savvy intervention? A £60 tiny electronic pill that travels through one's gastrointestinal tract, which records vitals, such as body temperature and heart rate.
This technology is not unprecedented and has previously been deployed, as early as 2019 during the Doha World Athletics Championships to prevent heat exhaustion.
The results of the tests will likely be used to tailor individual plans on hydration and recovery.
For example, if it was found that one player's performance peaked after 20 minutes of intense cardio but began declining at a rate faster than his peers after 40 minutes, Tuchel may use that data to aid his substitution decisions in the game.
While Gareth Southgate's England squad did do heat acclimatisation training ahead of the 2022 World Cup, it never reached this extent.
Earlier this week, Mail Sport were inside Tuchel's camp to see the aftermath of the latest technology in action, and pick the brains of two stars.
‘45 minutes on a bike is a long time!’ said Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze.
‘You just had to keep going. But it was definitely helpful. It gave a bit of insight into yourself, and how you would cope in those conditions. It was about understanding how hot you actually are while doing the training. It was interesting.’
Meanwhile, Chelsea's Cole Palmer took it in his stride and said: ‘Yeah, it was tough.
'We had to get to a certain wattage or something on a bike and maintain it. For 45 minutes.’
To be clear, this is not a form a doping, as no drugs are involved; just the monitoring of internal telemetry to optimise performance.
And England will need every ounce of performance if they hope to keep up with their formidable competition across not just Europe, but the world.
On Thursday night, fans saw the menacing attacks of Spain and France at display, as the Euro 2024 champions edged Les Blues in a 5-4 UEFA Nations League thriller.
England were victorious in their first two World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel, securing 2-0 and 3-0 wins against Albania and Latvia respectively.
The Three Lions' bid to qualify for next year's tournament continues on Saturday, when they face Andorra.
