Acclimation to High Elevations

[ski3pin]

Interesting article that a friend just passed on to me in Science Magazine -

Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood For Months

 

[takesiteasy]

Very interesting. My wife and I both notice stress from changes in altitude and our eventual adaptation to it, most recently on our visit to the North Rim. But we haven't had the opportunity to recognize the persistence of the adaptation mentioned in the article. I guess life has been easier on us since we got back, even if we didn't notice.

 

[ski3pin]

................................................... I guess life has been easier on us since we got back, even if we didn't notice.

See what a little high elevation time can do!

 

[ski3pin]

The take away from the article for me was that the red blood cells learn to hold onto O2 and that lesson stays with them through their 120 day live span. So it is important to get high at least every 120 days. We try to keep it to much shorter time intervals.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Very interesting read! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Taku]

Good article. But what is interesting is a friend of mine who was an amazing athlete at many sports, could not break the 15K line. Every single time he went to that level, even after spending two weeks at 12 to 14K feet, he went flat as a pancake. He was a physician and he just finally accepted that his body would never easily adapt to altitude.

 

[ski3pin]

Taku, I've heard similar stories. Your comment reminded me of a PBS Nova program on AMS research a few years back. A researcher tracked three people on an ascent of McKinley. One was a male astronaut in excellent condition. He was the one who had problems. He was also the one with the widest swings in core body temperature - including the highest if I remember correctly - while climbing. Not enough data to point to a connection but enough to justify further research on this. Perhaps someone could find a link to that program. I find it fascinating how our bodies work and adapt, especially in the outdoors we love.

 

[craig333]

Does that mean the higher you go the more you acclimate? Is there a lower limit? I.E. not going to acclimate much in the casinos at Tahoe?

 

[ETAV8R]

Thanks for sharing Ski

 

[ski3pin]

Here is an article related to the Nova program -

Deadly Ascent - Predicting Survival

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Interesting... Lots of variables in play.

 

[BobM]

I remember back in 2007 before going to Lhasa tibet i went to a chinese pharmacy and they made me some tea bags of herbs to help oxyenginate my blood for the 16,000 altitudues. I wish i could remember what is was. I also got some herbs from our chInese hosts when we were there. It seemed to help.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Wander The West mobile app

 

[The Unshaven]

Thanks for the post. Interesting read. I have been with people that seem to be very sensitive to even modest altitude (5-7K). I like to go camping or hiking for a week or two at 8-10K feet before my hunting season starts locally. I typically hunt at around 1-2K feet and can swear I can feel a difference if I have been to altitude within a month of hunting season. Placebo, science, or mental defect...you be the judge.

 

[craig333]

I'd like to see how much is age related also. My June F&S trip was originally at 7k. Moved down to a 5k lake I heard, because the old guys couldn't handle the altitude. Maybe it was the cold and wind and lack of restrooms though.