What is the impact of altitude on your metabolism?

General information on metabolism:

 The second most vital element after oxygen, water is the main constituent of our body, representing 60 to 70% of our weight. So, there's no question of running out!

 However, water requirements vary from person to person. Indeed, they depend on each individual's morphology, lifestyle, energy expenditure, climate, body temperature, and physical activities performed. It is estimated that between two and three liters of water leave the body daily through various elimination pathways: urinary, respiratory, perspiration, etc.

Humans are homeothermic by nature. Even when immobile, we consume energy. Respiration, elimination functions, food assimilation, and digestion represent minimal expenditures and characterize basal metabolism.

Altitude, sport, and dehydration:

Muscle exercise in high mountains has variable consequences depending on its duration and the altitude at which it is performed. The effect will be different whether it is a race of several minutes, fifteen hours, or an expedition of several days, because the effort provided by the body and the energy needs are not the same.

Here are different factors that can also influence your physical activity:

Cold: which increases energy needs, particularly for carbohydrates. Our metabolism fights to maintain our body at 37°C, which therefore leads to an increase in the number of calories burned.)

Oxygen: which drops sharply at altitude, the body finds itself in lack of oxygen, this is called hypoxia. This lack can be felt from 1500 meters of altitude during sports practice. 

Carbohydrates are the metabolites that use the least oxygen to "burn," which explains their very important role in the nutrition of mountaineers. 

Hydration level: indeed, dehydration can be significant in the mountains and is due to various causes: perspiration due to intense effort or even faster breathing due to oxygen rarefaction. 

Care must be taken with this dehydration, as it can cause altitude sickness, which manifests as headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Dehydration can also lead to serious complications, such as acute pulmonary edema (APE) or cerebral edema.

It is therefore essential to know how to recognize the symptoms of dehydration in order to react at the first signs. These symptoms are:

 - Dry mouth and tongue,

 - Increased thirst,

 - Headaches,

 - Fatigue and lethargy,

 - Dry skin,

 - Muscle weakness,

 - Dizziness,

 - Lack of concentration,

Urine color remains one of the most effective ways to assess hydration status. Indeed, dark and concentrated urine is a sign of a lack of water in the body.

Some advice: 

 Not only must you drink, but you must not wait until you are thirsty to drink. Indeed, the sensation of thirst indicates that the body is already suffering because it is already a sign of dehydration. It then becomes very difficult to compensate for the water deficit. 

 Daily and without any effort, it is recommended to drink about 1.5 liters of water per day. However, during intense and prolonged physical activity, such as hiking, our needs increase to 3 or 4 liters on average. 

 Be careful not to drink too cold, at the risk of causing gastric problems. Sodas and energy drinks are also to be avoided because they are too sugary, which accelerates dehydration.

We advise you to drink little but often in order not to lower muscle performance.

Drink yes, but what?

 Tea and coffee are essential for hiking, but unless you are perfectly sure you have no iron deficiency, it is best to drink them away from meals. Drinking tea (black or green) as well as coffee significantly reduces the assimilation of iron, which is known to be necessary for the production of hemoglobin for oxygen transport in the blood and tissues. And at altitude, any solution for better oxygen saturation is good to take. 

If you still have room in your bag, consider sparkling water. It is an alkaline drink that buffers acidity, preserves the body's mineral reserves, and helps reduce cramps and soreness. You will find it beneficial to drink it in the evening, after exercise. Also think about reconstituted fruit juices, soups, herbal teas... which allow you to vary your liquid intake and drink something other than water.

How to drink? 

You should not start drinking once you arrive at altitude, but 24 hours before to ensure optimal hydration!

Water adapted to effort must contain more mineral salts to compensate for losses. It is also slightly sweetened to provide quick energy that can bridge to slow energies. (See Hydratis solution section). An isotonic drink will promote good gastric emptying and good intestinal absorption. It acts quickly without burdening the stomach, which it leaves as quickly as water before being absorbed in the intestine. Indeed, isotonic drinks are rapidly assimilated and provide the body with energy (carbohydrates).

The Hydratis solution: 

Our range of rehydration tablets and sachets allows you to enrich your drink with minerals and trace elements and create an ultra-hydrating drink. Indeed, this allows for faster fluid assimilation adapted to physiological constraints. It also helps you, thanks to its mineral salts, to support your metabolism, promote muscle recovery, reduce physical and mental fatigue, and contribute to facilitating digestion.

Remember to have a preventive consultation with your doctor before any stay at altitude, who will assess the appropriateness of a specialized consultation based on your state of health and the conditions of your stay. 

Conclusion: