"If you make four or five sprints you'll know what is the difference in playing at altitude," Dunga told reporters after Brazil's 19-match unbeaten run ended at the Hernando Siles in La Paz, 3,600 metres above sea level. "It's not inhuman to play at altitude, provided you have a period of adaptation.
"If there is time to adapt, there's no problem in playing at altitude, but to play here is not easy,"
"I lined up the players best adapted to the altitude and we also have an important match at home and we have to rest those players," he added of their final qualifying match against Venezuela on Wednesday.
Brazil, who lost a World Cup qualifier for the first time in La Paz in 1993, supported a 2007 FIFA ban on matches more than 2,750 metres above sea level because of the danger to visiting players' health and an unfair advantage to home sides.
Coach Erwin Sanchez said Sunday's result was consolation after some poor results.
"But it leaves you with a sour taste because we beat the best (teams) and lost to the national teams we shouldn't have lost to (in La Paz)."
