Question 1

why do athletes do 'high altitude' training?

Accepted Answer

Increases blood cell: Increases blood cells and allows them to get more oxygen and more endurance at normal altitudes.

Question 2

what are some ways to simulate high-altitude conditions while training at sea-level?

Accepted Answer

Best very expensive: Elite athletes use methods to fool the body it is training at altitude  to stimulate erythropoietin to make more red cells and to increase 2.3-dpg,  a chemical that impacts oxygen movement from red blood cells to working muscles.
This requires sleeping in oxygen low rooms at night (pumped in nitrogen gas) etc.The mask based system has potential but is not to be used during exercise only at rest.

Question 3

i'm considering climbing everest without oxygen, and training by sleeping and running in an altitude tent which will lower my blood 02 sat. levels to ~70%. can i do both without brain damage?

Accepted Answer

No guarantees.: People have different susceptibilities to hypoxia depending on many factors including age, physical fitness, and health status.  Also, the ability of the brain to withstand hypoxia is time dependent, so time at the summit will be critical.

Question 4

how can i treat altitude illness?

Accepted Answer

Lower altitude: High altitude illness is a serious issue and I am not sure i understand what you mean by altitude illness. The treatment for high altitude sickness is evacuation to a lower altitude, diuretic and oxygen.

Question 5

why do i have an altitude headache?

Accepted Answer

Low oxygen: These symptoms are due to the low oxygen levels in the atmosphere above 8, 000 feet. The human body can accustom itself to working with less oxygen, but it needs time to do so. A relatively sudden transition to higher altitude can result in mountain sickness.

Question 6

how do you treat altitude sickness?

Accepted Answer

Depends on degree: This depends on the degree of illness.  But I do agree with my colleague that descent -- safely -- is the first thing to do.  Additional needs might be oxygen, hydration, the diuretic diamox (acetazolamide).  If the person is confused, short of breath, and not moving well, this is  severe and you're going to need help getting him/her down the mountain.  Better to watch for early signs than let it get this far.

Question 7

what are signs of altitude sickness?

Accepted Answer

Altitude sickness: Acute altitude sickness may be associated with any combination of the following symptoms: fatigue, headache, dizziness, insomnia, shortness of breath during exertion, nausea, decreased appetite, swelling of extremities. Altitude sickness develops when the rate of ascent into higher altitudes outpaces the body's ability to adjust to those altitudes.

Question 8

what do you do for altitude sickness?

Accepted Answer

Safe descent: The best treatment for altitude illness or altitude sickness is to decrease one's elevation by at least 1000 ft (quickly and safely.) if symptoms do not improve, one needs to descend another 1000 ft. If one has symptoms of hace (high altitude cerebral edema) or hape (high altitude pulmonary edema) contact search and rescue and arrange for emergent air evacuation.

Question 9

what sort of problem is altitude illness?

Accepted Answer

Altitude illness: Altitude illness can be a serious problem. If not recognized early , it can be fatal. The key aspect of prevention is to acclimatize yourself to a medium altitude before you go to high altitude. Consultation with an md can get you medicine to reduce the risk of illness. Many people (eg, skiers at 5000') experience mild illness--jittery, headache, insomnia. These mean it is time to take a break.

Question 10

are the symptoms of altitude illness bad?

Accepted Answer

Yes: High altitude sickness is associated with fluid accumulation in the lungs which causes severe shortness of breath and if left untreated, may be lethal.

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Doctor answers about:

Hypoxic altitude training

A member asked:

Why do athletes do 'high altitude' training?

A member asked:

What are some ways to simulate high-altitude conditions while training at sea-level?

A member asked:

I'm considering climbing everest without oxygen, and training by sleeping and running in an altitude tent which will lower my blood 02 sat. levels to ~70%. can i do both without brain damage?

A member asked:

How can i treat altitude illness?

A member asked:

Why do i have an altitude headache?

A member asked:

How do you treat altitude sickness?

A member asked:

What are signs of altitude sickness?

A member asked:

What do you do for altitude sickness?

A member asked:

What sort of problem is altitude illness?

A member asked:

Are the symptoms of altitude illness bad?

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