WHILE high altitude training camps have become popular expeditions for AFL teams in recent seasons, Port Adelaide says they'd prefer to slog it out under a baking Adelaide sun this summer. 

Gold Coast, Brisbane, North Melbourne, Carlton, St Kilda and Collingwood will all send players to train in high-altitude conditions in the USA in the coming months, while West Coast will go to the trouble of having players sleep and relax in tents designed to mimic such conditions.

The basic idea behind such training is that it increases the amount of oxygen red blood cells are able to carry to the muscles as the body adapts to training in 'thinner' air.

But the Power's high performance manager Darren Burgess says altitude training for Australian football is overrated.

Disregarding the huge sums of money clubs fork out to send players to train on the other side of the world, Burgess said training in heated conditions could be just as - if not more - beneficial as altitude training.

Put simply, training in hot conditions puts more stress on the body and it has to work harder to reach the same level achieved in cooler conditions.

Over time, the body acclimatises to the heat and gets used to performing in harsh conditions, allowing it to perform more efficiently in 'easier' conditions.

"There's a growing body of research that's suggesting that heat training can offer more benefit than altitude," Burgess said.

"I'd expect in the coming couple of years that there will be just as much evidence for heat training and its positive effects as there is for altitude training."

The former head of fitness at Liverpool FC in the English Premier League said it wasn't his right to judge other AFL clubs for sending players to train at high altitude, but was convinced the Power would be better suited training in Adelaide.

"It's not really for me to comment on what other clubs do, but at Port Adelaide we like to think we're on top of all the latest research and we'd certainly be pretty happy training in heat rather than training at altitude," he said.

"Altitude has certainly been pretty popular with a lot of the cubs and a lot of the disciplined sports like cycling and running, but we'll stick to the heat in Adelaide I reckon."

But just because Burgess doesn't believe high-altitude to be worth Port's time won't mean the Power will stay in Alberton all summer.

The side started its pre-season on Thursday and on Saturday morning most of the club's list left for the Australian Institute of Sport's European training base in Varese, Italy.

With an exhibition game against the Western Bulldogs scheduled for November 3 in London, Burgess said the Power's four-day training camp in Varese would be of "moderate" intensity.

Located about 60km north-west of Milan, the base boasts what Burgess described as world class facilities.

Next Tuesday, the Power will receive an address from the manager of Italian soccer giant AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri, and also undertake a behind the scenes tour of the famous club's training facilities.

It won't be the only elite soccer club the Power visit, with a tour of Arsenal's base in London also on the cards.

Burgess said the trip would be a constructive experience for players and coaches alike.

"You hope that the players get exposed to other elite sports' training habits so that they can see how hard other athletes work," he said.

"Particularly at a place like Varese, where a lot of the cycling is based, we'll be exposed to their training methods and how hard they work.

"You can always learn something so hopefully the coaches and the players learn something about other sports."

Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.