| Experienced Climbers Use Less Oxygen |
|
|
|
Experienced Climbers Use Less Oxygen
Billat et al {Billat} report that mountaineering experience decreases the net oxygen cost of uphill walking on steep mountain trails in ice and snow conditions. They compared oxygen cost during an ascent of Mont Blanc in eight experienced alpinists and eight non-alpinists, matched for sex (4 + 4) and low-altitude aerobic power (VO2max = 50-55 ml kg-1 min-1). Subjects carried a breath-by-breath gas exchange analyzer and a GPS. VO2max at altitude was estimated from measured low-altitude VO2max using Bassett's equation to calculate fractional use of VO2max during the ascent (fVO2max. The oxygen cost was calculated as the difference between VO2max while climbing minus resting VO2max. At all elevations, alpinists exhibited a lower oxygen cost (p < 0.01). In all subjects, oxygen cost increased when encountering ice and snow conditions. fVO2max remained stable around 75% at all elevations independent of experience or sex. In conclusion, the oxygen cost is lower in experienced mountaineers compared to non-experienced subjects, and increases when going from steep rocky mountain terrain to ice and snow conditions, independent of mountaineering experience or sex.
|








