Planning a high-altitude adventure? Don't let the thin air catch you off guard. Elevation acclimation is your key to a successful, enjoyable, and safe journey above sea level. This comprehensive guide will equip you with essential knowledge about altitude adjustment and present seven critical steps to help your body adapt efficiently to higher altitudes. Master these strategies to prevent altitude sickness and fully experience the breathtaking beauty of elevated landscapes.
Elevation acclimation, also known as altitude acclimatization, is the process of the body adjusting to lower oxygen levels found at higher altitudes.
As you ascend to higher elevations the air becomes thinner and oxygen levels decrease, causing physiological stress on the body that can lead to altitude sickness.
Whether you're planning a trek in the Himalayas, a journey to Machu Picchu, or simply a visit to a city at a higher elevation like Denver, elevation acclimation can make or break your experience.
Proper acclimation is essential to avoid altitude sickness, which can range from mild discomfort to severe conditions.
Altitude sickness can usually develop within 6-24 hours upon arrival at high elevations. With physiological stress including oxidative stress and dehydration from the lower oxygen levels, symptoms of altitude sickness can kick in such as headaches and nausea.
Symptoms of altitude sickness can include:
Look out for these type of symptoms, which are signs of your body not acclimatizing to elevation fast enough. To help your body with elevation acclimation, read our steps to take below.
The more you know about altitude sickness, the better prepared you'll be to avoid it and acclimate on your next trip. Unless you're a mountaineer, most don't don't that there are three main kinds of altitude sickness.
Here are 3 main types of altitude sickness:
While Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is what most people deal with, you should only be concerned and aware of HAPE and HACE if you're planning a mountaineering climb to very high altitudes, or doing rapid ascents. For example, many mountains in the Himalaya's including K2 and Mount Everest run the risk of very severe altitude sickness.
The CDC indicates that elevation acclimatization takes 3-5 days.¹
While it can take weeks or months to fully acclimate, the most intense elevation acclimatization happens in those first few days. Altitude sickness can develop during the acclimatization process in those early days, but risk varies person to person and also due to speed of ascent.
The definition of high altitude by Cornell is 4,000 feet.
Altitude sickness can also start as low as 4,000 feet according to Travel Medicine Consultants.³ The risk can increase as you ascend higher in elevation, such as at 10,000 feet it's noted 50% people can get altitude sickness.⁴
Altitude sickness can wreck your experience, which is why elevation acclimation is going to be key when you're traveling to high-altitude regions.
With over a decade of high elevation experience out of Colorado, we'll share our top steps to help you acclimate better.
Here's 7 Steps To Acclimate Better:
One of the best ways to improve elevation acclimation is to avoid going too high too fast. The CDC points this step out, emphasizing that gradual ascent will give your body the time to adjust.¹ Furthermore, they recommend an extra night for every 3,300 feet climb in elevation.¹
In Colorado for example, visitors are high recommended to stay in Denver when flying in at 5,280 feet for at least a night or two before ascending to the mountain towns that reach 7,000 to 10,000 feet.
Your body does most of its adaptations while you sleep, including recovery.⁵ Quality sleep will help you.
Make sure to get plenty of sleep each night, 7-9 hours. Also by getting natural sunlight during the day, you can help melatonin production in your body at night.
High altitudes can make physical exertion more challenging due to reduced oxygen and stress on the body. In the initial days at higher elevations, it's advisable to avoid demanding and strenuous activities such as hiking and skiing.
Take it easy during the first 48 hours. Allow your body to adjust without pushing its limits until you feel fully acclimated.
The lower oxygen levels can lead to an increased respiratory rate and, consequently, increased water loss through respiration. So much that the Wilderness Medical Society states you can lose fluid twice as fast in high elevations.⁶
Hydrate well by drinking plenty of water before and throughout your high elevation stay. Drinking half your weight in ounces of water per day is often recommended by experts.
TIP: To help enhance your hydration, add sea salt (natural electrolytes) to your food/water and use Zaca's hydration tablets to aid in water absorption.
In the midst of high elevation acclimation, you may experience signs such as trouble breathing or increased respiration. This is your body's natural functions being disrupted.
Taking short breaks often can allow you to catch your breath and recover, reducing the strain on your body.
Alcohol can exacerbate effects, and shows similar symptoms such as headaches and nausea. It also can make quality sleep hard, and overall more stress on the body to adjust.
It's best to limit alcohol consumption or avoid it altogether until you feel fully acclimated.
High elevations have been found to increase oxidative stress on the body.⁷ So much that one study showed glutathione, the body's master antioxidant, to deplete nearly by half in high altitudes.⁸
Antioxidants can help your body to naturally support the effects of oxidative stress.⁹ Take antioxidants, such as glutathione, to fortify your body and replenish to healthy levels.
To get a more in-depth review of these types of antioxidants and herbs, read our full article on herbs for altitude adjustment and prevention.
By following these seven steps, you can improve your elevation acclimation to enhance your overall experience at elevated destinations. The steps include not going too high too fast, getting plenty of sleep, avoiding demanding activities, hydrating well, taking breaks often, limiting alcohol, and taking antioxidants.
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SOURCES:
1. High Elevation Travel & Altitude Illness (Acclimatization)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/environmental-hazards-risks/high-elevation-travel-and-altitude-illness
2. Cornell High Altitude Definition
https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=2cf9863f85f2f25b6e5e0a2e9dacfe7b&term_occur=5&term_src=Title:40:Chapter:I:Subchapter:C:Part:86:Subpart:S:86.1810-09
3. High Altitude Illness
https://www.travelsurenyc.com/high-altitude-illness/
4. Patient education: High-altitude illness (including mountain sickness)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/high-altitude-illness-including-mountain-sickness-beyond-the-basics/
5. Sleep: The Secret Ingredient of Injury Recovery
https://www.orthocarolina.com/media/sleep-the-secret-ingredient-of-injury-recovery
6. Why Do You Need to Drink a Lot of Water at a High Altitude?
https://www.livestrong.com/article/360485-how-to-train-for-high-altitude-hiking
7. High altitude and oxidative stress
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17482529/
8. Effect of high altitude (7,620 m) exposure on glutathione
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11320641/
9. Oxidative Stress and Diseases Associated with High-Altitude Exposure
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8868315/
10. The 3 Stages Of Elevation Acclimation: How To Acclimate To Altitude Properly
https://marathonhandbook.com/altitude-acclimatization/
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