How Elevation Change Affects the Human Body

Paw Print Writer: Julia Donnelly

Coming to a new school can be scary, especially as an incoming freshman. New faces,

new changes, more responsibility, and sometimes a new elevation. Facing higher altitudes is an unexpected challenge that students don’t expect. Oxygen drops, and all of a sudden, breathing becomes harder, sleep patterns become disoriented, and performance declines. There are ways to deal with this new change, including giving your body a few days to rest to get partially acclimated, staying hydrated, and prioritizing rest and sleep!

At higher elevations, there is less oxygen, less air to breathe. This makes the human body work harder for air, which increases the heart rate, and can affect simple things such as

walking to class. According to Biff Palmer, Author of the scholarly article, Physiology and

pathophysiology with ascent to altitude, states, “With increasing altitude, there is a fall in

barometric pressure and a progressive fall in the partial pressure of oxygen. These changes

include a marked increase in alveolar ventilation, increased hemoglobin concentration and

affinity, and increased tissue oxygen extraction.” Meaning that as altitude increases, oxygen levels drop. The human body responds by rapid breathing, which in the end produces more red blood cells. It’s important to be careful about this because one can become dizzy, short of breath, experience headaches, fatigue, and hyperventilation instantly. Hydration is necessary because increased heart rate means less moisture in the lungs, helps blood flow more easily, and supports muscle recovery. So, whether it’s a student or student-athlete experiencing the change in altitude, hydration is key! This doesn’t contain all the answers because in new environments, sleeping patterns become disrupted, and it’s a necessity for college students to get rest.

At higher elevations, students can often find themselves restless, tossing and turning with no luck in the night. Waking up and feeling exhausted is not the way to start the day, but most college students find that happening to them. Due to the lack of oxygen, it’s harder for the body to enter deep sleep, which is necessary for brain development and growth. San Turhan, one of the authors of Effects of High Altitude on Sleep and Respiratory System and Their Adaptations, writes, “High-altitude (HA) environments have adverse effects on the normal functioning body of people accustomed to living at low altitudes because of the change in barometric pressure, which causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen, leading to hypobaric hypoxia. Sustained exposure to hypoxia has adverse effects on body weight, muscle structure, exercise capacity, mental functioning, and sleep quality.” Meaning that this lack of oxygen, hypobaric hypoxia, can cause the muscles in the body to weaken, can increase mood swings, and make it harder to get a good night’s rest. Things that can help counteract this would be breathing exercises due to your heart rate picking up and needing more air. Another step to help the acclimation process would be

to make sure you’re getting proper nutrients and hydration. The body is working overtime to get oxygen circulated, so providing the necessary nutrients is key. Finally, performance can decline when participating in athletic activities or just working out.

As an athlete or someone who engages in regular physical activity, performance takes a

major hit. The body now struggles to get oxygen to the muscles, making a person feel more tired, having longer recovery periods, and lacking the lung capacity to handle the new altitude. Philo U. Saunders, author of the scholarly journal Endurance Training at Altitude, states, “A few weeks spent at moderate to high altitude may slightly compromise muscle function … prolonged exposure … can lead to a significant loss of muscle fibre cross‐sectional area and a decrease of mitochondrial volume density.” This explains why muscles stay sore, fatigued, and weakened longer. When you’re at a higher elevation, the mitochondria can shrink due to a lack of O2, and the mitochondria provide the energy required for muscles to last long and work efficiently (Philo U..Saunders). Having proper nutrition (electrolytes and food), having proper recovery time, and having supplements are all ways to get back to training faster, recovering your body the right way, and keeping your body healthy long term. Prioritizing these attributes can help overall with breathing issues, proper sleep, and body recovery.

Higher elevations aren’t easy for bodies not used to it, and it can be demanding, but the human body is made to adapt. With the proper rest time, nutrients, and hydration, anyone can get used to this challenge. Taking it one day at a time and listening to what your body is saying will help in the long run. So make sure to hydrate, get proper nutrition, and rest and recover!

Works Cited

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23690739/ - Discusses how sleep, breathing, heart rate, etc., change when lowland people go up in altitude.

- At high altitude, people have lower oxygen in the blood (hypobaric hypoxia).

- Resting pulse rate increases, breathing becomes faster and deeper initially.

- Sleep quality dips; people may have sleep disturbances.

- Over time, some adaptation: heart rate and respiratory parameters tend to adjust downward somewhat after the first few days.

https://journals.scholarpublishing.org/index.php/BJHR/index - Looks at how altitude (lower

barometric pressure, hypoxia) affects various bodily systems as people adjust.

- Lower partial pressure of oxygen → less oxygen getting in per breath.

- The body increases breathing rate & depth (hyperventilation), initiates responses in the blood (more red blood cells) to carry oxygen.

- Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: lung blood vessels respond to low oxygen by redirecting blood flow, affecting heart & lung function.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3654241/

“High-altitude (HA) environments have adverse effects on the normal functioning body of

people accustomed to living at low altitudes because of the change in barometric pressure, which causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen, leading to hypobaric hypoxia. Sustained exposure to hypoxia has adverse effects on the body