Skiing and Altitude Sickness

[Peter Minde]

My home is at 7k but I’ve been living just over 8k this whole summer and the difference is very noticeable. I get dehydrated much easier and sleep is always more challenging here.

Interesting. In the 90s, world cup xc skiers were using altitude tents in their houses to simulate sleeping at altitude. These days, it's "train high, sleep low."

 

[raisingarizona]

Interesting. In the 90s, world cup xc skiers were using altitude tents in their houses to simulate sleeping at altitude. These days, it's "train high, sleep low."

Probably best to rest better at night if your going for optimal performance

 

[Andy_ROC]

I must be lucky as altitude doesn't seem to bother me too much, and I spend most my life at 550 FT. Taking trips and staying at 9k and skiing from 11k or 12k presents no issues. But I strongly believe that my pretrip prep has a lot to do with it.

A week prior I start with 180mg/day of Ginkgo Biloba and continue for most the duration of the trip. Two days prior to departure I start hydrating with plenty of extra water. During the the trip I continue with plenty of water. I always ski with a hydropack to drink water all day long. I use saline nasal spray regularly during the trip and hopefully the condo or hotel has a humidifier. Some I've stayed at have and when they don't I boil water. The dry air will kill your sinuses. For apres I don't drink more than a beer or 2/day.

Though somewhat anecdotal, friends and family that follow this routine haven't had issues either.

As an FYI though I get plenty cardio I'm hardly a picture of extreme fitness at 61 and over weight.

 

[Peter Minde]

My own experience with altitude. First time I summited Mt Rainier, I got a splitting headache on the rim of the summit crater. The 2 subsequent trips on Rainier, no worries. Climbing Mt Elbert in CO, I was just outta breath. Although from what I've read, even those who've never had altitude sickness can become subject to pulmonary or cerebral edema.

 

[MarzNC]

For those interested in reading more about dealing with high altitude . . .

A friend developed issues with high altitude in recent years. When she was a young adult, she lived and skied in Colorado without any issue. She finally got an answer to her situation from Dr. Peter Hackett. He founded the Institute for Altitude Medicine (IFAM) in June 2007 in conjunction with the Telluride Medical Center and the University of Colorado. That transitioned into High Altitude Doctor in 2017. Her issue is called Periodic Breathing, which messes up her sleep the entire time she's at high altitude, even after she has minimal symptoms during the day.

December 2015

The Tricky Business of Treating Altitude Sickness (Published 2015)

Mountain visitors are being offered oxygen therapies, oils, pills and more that claim to prevent altitude sickness, but there is little research to prove they work.

www.nytimes.com

Optimizing Health At Altitude — Institute For Altitude Medicine

www.highaltitudedoctor.org

Myths About Altitude — Institute For Altitude Medicine

www.highaltitudedoctor.org

MYTH # 1 - DON'T USE CAFFEINE AT ALTITUDE.​

We don't know where this false assumption came from, but likely from the fact that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you pee). The concern is that it could dehydrate you and contribute to altitude sickness. This concern is unfounded unless you drink pots of black sludge coffee a day and little else. In reality, caffeine stimulates your brain, kidneys and breathing, all of which are helpful at altitude. And for those people who drink several caffeinated beverages a day, stopping abruptly can cause a profound headache. See Dr. Hackett's article on caffeine and altitude.

MYTH #2 - DIAMOX MASKS SYMPTOMS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS.​

Taking Diamox to prevent AMS will not mask symptoms. It works on the same pathway that your own body uses to help you acclimatize. It is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that makes you urinate a base chemical called bicarbonate. This makes your blood more acidic and therefore stimulates breathing thereby taking in more oxygen. It speeds up your natural process of acclimatization and if you stop taking it you will not have rebound symptoms. It is one of the main medicines doctors use to prevent and treat acute mountain sickness (AMS).

MYTH #3 - PHYSICAL FITNESS PROTECTS AGAINST ALTITUDE SICKNESS.​

Physical fitness offers no protection from altitude illness. In fact, many young fit athletes drive themselves too hard at altitude prior to acclimatizing thinking they can push through the discomfort. They ignore signs of altitude illness thinking it can't affect them because they are fit and healthy. Everyone, regardless of fitness, is susceptible to AMS.

MYTH #4 - DRINKING EXTRA WATER WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ALTITUDE ILLNESS.​

Staying hydrated is important at altitude. Symptoms of dehydration are similar to AMS. In reality you only need an additional liter to a liter and a half of water at altitude. Too much water is harmful and can dilute your body's sodium level (hyponatremia) causing weakness, confusion, seizures, and coma. A good rule of thumb to assess for hydration is to check your urine. Clear urine indicates adequate hydration, dark urine suggest dehydration and the need to drink more water.

MYTH # 5 - CHILDREN ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALTITUDE ILLNESS.​

Several studies have shown that children have similar rates of altitude illness as adults. No evidence exist that children are more susceptible to the altitude. If your child is otherwise healthy and the basic rules of acclimatization are followed they will likely do well at altitude. Children do get altitude illness and the main challenge in those very young is that they can't communicate their headache and other symptoms. Excessive crying in a baby the first 1-2 days at altitude could be altitude illness. Children with AMS bounce back quickly with treatment as do most adults."

 

[Benny Profane]

Overweight cigarette smokers have climbed Everest.

 

[MarzNC]

Overweight cigarette smokers have climbed Everest.

Sensitivity to high altitude is weird. Not predictable based on health status, age, or past history sleeping at over 8000 ft. Gradual ascent helps most people. That's one reason I've opted to drive to Colorado for early season skiing instead of hopping a cheap flight to Denver.

There are people who never adjust. I know of a long time skier who lived in Colorado for years but eventually had to move away because they couldn't handle living at over 9000 ft any more.

 

[Benny Profane]

I have heard that some have to be driven down to Denver immediately to survive.

 

[raisingarizona]

Sensitivity to high altitude is weird. Not predictable based on health status, age, or past history sleeping at over 8000 ft. Gradual ascent helps most people. That's one reason I've opted to drive to Colorado for early season skiing instead of hoping a cheap flight to Denver.

There are people who never adjust. I know of a long time skier who lived in Colorado for years but eventually had to move away because they couldn't handle living at over 9000 ft any more.

I've always been told that it's more about personal DNA than all of the other characteristics listed.

 

[Brownski]

There was a chapter on it in the patrol textbook. It said it doesn’t correlate with fitness.