THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CLAIMS OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT, WHICH ASIDE FROM COFFEE WE HOLD LITTLE TRUST IN. INSTEAD THIS IS ABOUT MAINTAINING A NORMALLY FUNCTIONING SYSTEM, WHICH MAKES ALL CLAIMS OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT IRRELEVANT IF NOT IN PLACE, AND WHICH IN THE CASE OF HIGH ALTITUDE NORMALCY WILL FEEL LIKE ENHANCEMENT ANYWAY.
MOST SUPPLEMENTS ARE SPURIOUS AT SEA LEVEL AND ONLY BECOME MORE OF A VAGUE NOTION WHEN THINGS GET HIGHER, LONGER AND COLDER. OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF NUTRIENTS THAT SURPASS WHAT AN INTERIOR DECORATOR DOES, BUT MOST YOU WILL GET FROM PROPER EATING AND A LOT YOU ARE TOLD YOU’LL ‘NEED’ WON’T ACTUALLY HELP.
MOST ADVICE HINGES ON VAGUE NOTIONS GLEANED FROM ADVERTISING, AND LIKE MOST THINGS HAS LITTLE INPUT FROM SPECIFIC EXPERTISE IN HIGH ALTITUDE. WHAT MOST OF THE HEALTH AND SPORTING INDUSTRY CALLS HIGH ALTITUDE MEANS THINGS LIKE TRAINING FOR MARATHONS AT 2500m, WHICH BY ALPINE STANDARDS DOESN’T EVEN REGISTER.
BUT, SOME RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE, AND IT IS GLARIGLY OBVIOUS THAT THE BODY IS STRESSED AT HIGH ALTITUDE, SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF DEMAND BECAUSE WHAT THE BODY IS GOING THROUGH JUST ISN’T NORMAL. THEORETICALLY IS HAS BEEN HARD TO DETERMINE JUST WHAT, BECAUSE ON PAPER THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE DON’T READILY INCLUDE ALL THE OTHER STUFF GOING ON LIKE COLD, MASSIVE ENERGY CONSUMPTION, DURATION OF EXPOSURE AND GENERAL CLIMBER CONDITION. WITHOUT ACTUAL RESEARCH DONE TO CORRELATE IT ALL MOST STUDIES SO FAR HAVE BEEN TOO VAGUE TO MEAN MUCH.
WHERE OTHER STUDIES FALL DOWN IS DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN NUTRIENTS NEEDED FOR ALTITUDE AND THOSE SIMPLY NEEDED FOR PROLONGED CLIMBING, WITH THE EFFECTS ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE CAUSED SPECIFICALLY BY ALTITUDE BEING LITTLE UNDERSTOOD. THIS MAY LEAD TO SKEWED RECCOMMENDATIONS WHERE THINGS ARE CONSIDERED AS THEY WOULD BE AT LOWER ALTITUDES, BUT NOT BE FEASIBLE OR EVEN COUNTER PRODUCTIVE ONCE ABOVE 5500m. A CASE IN POINT HERE IS ANY FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS, BECAUSE FAT METABOLISM IS SO CHANGED ONCE OXYGEN UPTAKEIS REDUCED. THIS IS A GREY AREA WITH UNDERSTANDABLY LITTLE RESEARCH, BUT WHICH MAY MEAN PROBLEMS WITH OVERCONSUMPTION OF VITAMINS THE BODY CAN’T METABOLIZE.
THIS STUDY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND SETS A GOOD OVERVIEW THAT INCLUDES RECCOMMENDATIONS. WHAT MATTERS HERE – AND WHERE THINGS DIFFER FROM SIMULATED OR NON-HIGH ALTITUDE-SPECIFIC RESEARCH – IS THAT THESE RECCOMENDATIONS WORK WITH THE REALITY THAT CLIMBERS ON EXPEDITION WON’T BE GETTING THEIR NORMAL DAILY DOSES OF ANYTHING, AT LEAST NOT CONSISTENTLY ENOUGH TO AVERAGE OUT ACROSS MORE THAN A FEW DAYS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS NOT TO THE POINT THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT NEED EXTRA OF THESE VITAMINS AND MINERALS, BUT THAT YOU SHOULD OFTEN BE SIMPLY MAINTAINING THEM.
THIS PERSPECTIVE RESOLVES A LOT OF THE DISCHORD ON THE SUBJECT, ABOUT IDEAS OF NEEDING EXTRA DUE TO EXTREME DEMANDS OR CHRONIC DEPLETION. THE REALITY IS, MOST EXPEDITION CLIMBERS JUST NEED TO KEEP NORMAL, ALL BE IT AT AN UPPER LEVEL, AND THAT CHRONIC DEPLETION IS NOT THE PROBLEM SOME THINK IT IS.
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WELL PLANNED EXPEDITIONS WILL HAVE GOOD FOOD UP UNTIL ABOUT THE 5500m MARK, WHERE MOST STEP OFF THE GLACIER AND START RELYING ON ‘MOUNTAIN FOOD’ ie ANYTHING THAT WORKS. THIS IS THE SAME POINT WHERE FAT METABOLISM STARTS TO NOTICEABLY DECLINE, AND ENERGY DEMAND SOARS AS YOU GO INTO THE COLD AND HARD WORK. WHATEVER VITAMIN AND MINERAL INTAKE YOU HAD BEFORE THEN GETS BLOWN FAST, NOT SO MUCH AT A CHRONIC LEVEL BECAUSE MOST FORAYS UP HIGH ONLY LAST A FEW DAYS, BUT DAILY LEVELS GET BLOWN WHICH CAN THEN SET OFF A LAG THAT IS OVERLOOKED OR HARD TO REGAIN ONCE BACK AT BASECAMP.
A WEEK LONG TRIP AND YOU WON’T NOTICE MUCH, BUT ONCE THINGS HIT ABOUT TWO WEEKS – ie MOST TRIPS TO ABOVE 5500m – YOU WILL BE FEELING THE EFFECTS ON THINGS LIKE SLEEP, RECOVERY, MOOD AND FOCUS. THIS IS USUALLY FELT AS CRAVINGS THAT CAN BE HARD TO PIN POINT LET ALONE SATISFY, WHICH WARPS THE WAY YOU EAT IN BASECAMP BUT CAN BE EASILY ADDRESSED WITH A BOTTLE OF CAPSULES.
IN PRACTICE, THESE SUPPLEMENTS WOULD BE TAKEN WITH FOOD WHEN ABOVE BASECAMP, AND MAYBE OCCASIONALLY IN BASECAMP AS YOU RECOVER FROM TIME UP HIGH. ALWAYS EAR IN MIND THIS IS ABOUT NOTHING MORE THAN MAINTAINING DAILY LEVELS IN THE ABSENCE OF NORMAL ADEQUATE FOOD INTAKE, AND IS NOT ABOUT ANY SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AS MAY BE CLAIMED WITH OTHER THINGS.
THIS LIST COVERS WHAT THE HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBER WILL FIND RELEVANT.OF THE DOZENS OF MICRONUTRIENTS, THE REST ARE EITHER EASILY MET OR THE RELATIVELY SHORT DURATION OF TIME UP HIGH WON’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. THE AIM IS TO MAINTAIN A VITAMIN AND MINERAL LEVEL THAT IS NOT DISRUPTIVE EITHER WAY, NOT DROPPING INTO DEFICIT OR BOMBING YOURSELF OUT WITH THNGS YOU DON’T NEED.
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VITAMIN E
WE GET PLENTY OF SOURCES FOR VITAMIN E IN OUR BASECAMPS DUE TO A PRIORITY ON THINGS LIKE NUTS AND OILS (PEANUT BUTTER BY THE SPOON IS A SIGNATURE OF OUR TRIPS), SO YOU ONLY NEED TO CARRY A SMALL AMOUNT FOR THE DAYS ON-MOUNTAIN, MEANING IT CAN BE THOUGHT OF WITH YOUR PERSONAL FOOD.
ALL SORTS OF POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR IT TO ADDRESS THE ISSES WITH FAT OXIDATION AND TISSUE INFLAMATION (EDEMA), AND LOW TOXICITY LETS IT BE INCLUDED WITH LITTL RISK OF TAKING TOO MUCH. RECCOMENDED INTAKE IS THE SAME AS FOR NORMAL LIFE, ie AROUND 300mg.
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VITAMIN C
REDUCED FRESH FOOD STARTS TO DIMINISH VITAMIN C AS EVERYONE KNOWS, THOUGH WE EASILY MAKE UP FOR IT IN CAMP WITH THINGS LIKE CIDER VINEGAR, CHILIS AND DRIED FRUITS. TO THE CLIMBER IT IS LINKED TO SEVERAL STRESS MECHANISMS LIKE ADRENALINE METABOLISM AND BODY TEMPERATURE, SO IS WORTH KEEPING TABS ON.
DAILY INTAKE IS SUGGESTED AT 250mg WHICH IS MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL, BUT SHOWN TO BE STILL VERY SAFE AS EXCESS IS SIMPLY URINATED AWAY. NOTE THIS IS RECCOMMENDED FOR THE ENTIRE EXPEDITION NOT JUST WHEN ABOVE BASECAMP (AND IS COMMONLY WHAT ENDURANCE ATHLETES TAKE DURING TRAINING IN EXCESS OF 10-12hrs A WEEK), SO REALLY NEEDS BRINGING A DECENT SUPPLY.
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THIAMIN (B1)
THIAMIN RELATES TO CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT SOARS WHEN CLIMBING AND IS A SIGNATURE OF EXPEDITIONS TO HIGH ALTITUDE THAT MOST NON-SPECIFIC OR THEORETICAL STUDIES MISS. WHEN DAYS CAN INVOLVE 5000kcals OUTPUT AND FAT METABOLISM IS REDUCED, SERIOUS AMOUNTS OF CARBOHYDRATES NEED SERIOUS AMOUNTS OF THIAMIN TO BE ABSORBED.
SOURCES OF THIAMIN IS BASICALLY JUST FOOD ITSELF, SO SIMPLY EATING PROPERLY COVERS MUCH OF IT. B1 ENRICHED FOODS ARE COMMON BUT TEND TO ERR TOWARDS HEAVILY PROCESSED STUFF, AND STILL WON’T MAKE UP FOR WHAT SUPPLEMENTATION WILL.
EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT EATING YOU ARE STILL METABOLIZING CARBOHYDRATES AND NEED THE THIAMIN FOR IT, SO RELYING SIMPLY ON FOOD WHEN ABOVE CAMP ISN’T ENOUGH. YOU MAY BE EATING 2000kcals A DAY BUT SPENDING +5000 SO WILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF ENERGY DROP PRETTY SOON.
DAILY DOSE ROCCOMMENDED FOR EXPEDITION CLIMBING IS 3mg – DOUBLE THE NORMAL – BUT MAKES SENSE WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOUR ARE DOUBLING YOU ENERGY EXPENDITURE.
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MAGNESIUM
THIS IS NOT HARD TO GET, MUCH LIKE B1 BEING A BASIC ELEMENT OF MOST FOOD. WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF FOODS THAT ARE CLASSIC SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM SO THE AIM IS SIMPLY TO MAINTAIN NORMAL LEVELS.
MAGNESIUM IS BOTH IMPERATIVE TO THE ENERGY PRODUCTION CYCLE AND VERY SAFE, SO THE RECCOMMENDED AMOUNT IS AT THE UPPER THRESHOLD IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE EXTRA AMOUNT OF ENERGY THE BODY IS USING. THIS IS 400-500mg A DAY WHICH IS NOTHING ALARMING, NOTING THAT IT IS THE MACROCYCLE THAT MATTERS MOST, SO GETTING THIS AMOUNT EACH DAY SETS A BASELINE THAT ONLY REQUIRES THE SAME EACH DAY WHILST UP HIGH.
THIS IS A CONSISTANT THING, NOT A MATTER OF THINKING EXCESSIVE INTAKE FOR THE BRIEF FORAYS UP HIGH WILL MAKE UP FOR INADEQUATE INTAKE THE REST OF THE TIME. EXPEDITIONS ARE OVER SEVERAL WEEKS OR MONTHS, SO IT IS THE LARGER CYCLE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION.
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ZINC
ZINCE USUALLY NEEDS SUPPLEMENTATION BECAUSE SIGNIFICANT NORMAL SOURCES TEND TO BE FROM FRESH ANIMAL SOURCES, WHICH WE GET A LOT OF WHEN IN TRANSIT BUT WHICH DECREASES AS WE GET FURTHER OUT. NUTS AND FRUIT HAVE AMOUNTS, BUT IT IS EASIEST TO JUST SUPPLEMENT AS WELL.
20mg IS THE RECCOMMENDED AMOUNT DAILY, WHICH IS 25% MORE THAN NORMAL, TO MAKE UP FOR THE INCREASE IN URINATION THAT COMES WITH ALTITUDE ADAPTION.
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HOW TO GET THEM
SOME COMMERCIAL CAPSULES COME SURPRISINGLY CLOSE TO THIS MIX, PROBABLY BEING VIABLE WITH ONLY TWO CAPSULES TAKEN TWICE A DAY. THE SERIOUS CLIMBER MIGHT PACK THEIR OWN CAPSULES, MIXED FROM OTHERS, FOR USE WHEN UP HIGH.
BE WARY OF LAUDED ‘EXTREME SPORT’ STUFF THAT USUALLY CONTAINS ALL SORTS OF OTHER INGREDIENTS. THE LIST HERE IS VERY UNEXOTIC, SAFE AND NORMAL TO EVERY DAY USE, SO CAN BE GATHERED FROM GENERIC SOURCES THAT ARE CHEAPER AND CLOSER TO REGULAR AMOUNTS.
NEVER FORGET THAT MOST PACKAGED SUPPLEMENTS ARE SOLD FOR PROFIT, AND NEVER QUITE HAVE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT AND PLENTY YOU DON’T, SO CUT THROUGH ALL THE CLAIMS AND ALLUSIONS BECAUSE NONE OF THEM ARE SPECIFIC TO HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING, AND ORGANIZE YOUR OWN.
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HOW TO TAKE THEM
SIMPLY SORT INTO BAGS AND PUT IN WITH YOUR FOOD. FOR BASECAMP THOSE ORGANIZRS OLD PEOPLE USE ARE GOOD, TO REDUCE HANDLING AND OPENING JARS ETC THAT EXPOSE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS TO HUMIDITY AND DUST.
ON-MOUNTAIN, ARRANGE INTO DAILY AMOUNTS SO THINGS ARE EASIER TO HANDLE, AND CONSUME DURING YOUR RECOVERY PHASES AT THE END OF THE CLIMBING DAY.
WHEN PLANNING YOUR FOOD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPLEMENTS YOU MAY BE GETTING, SUCH AS BARS, POWDERS AND GELS. ANOTHER ANGLE TO TAKE IS TO ADD SUPPLEMENTS TO YOUR OWN HOMEMADE BARS, PROBABLY THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GET WHAT YOU NEED.
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AGAIN WE WILL REITERATE: THIS IS ABOUT MAINTAINING OPTIMAL DAILY INTAKE ACROSS AN ENTIRE EXPEDITION, WHICH IS WHERE THE BEST PERFORMANCE COMES FROM. THE RESEARCH INTO HIGH ALTITUDE INTAKE IS STILL FAIRLY RUDIMENTARY EVEN FOR THE MOST COMMON OF NUTRIENTS, MEANING THAT THE AMAZING CLAIMS OF EXOTIC PREPARATIONS AND INGREDIENTS IN EVEN MORE COMPLICATED MIXTURES WILL BE NO MORE THAN SPECULATION AT BEST, POSSIBLY SKEWING THE EFFECTS OF OTHERS IN WAYS THAT DON’T HELP.
EAT PROPERLY, SUPPLEMENT TO MAINTAIN NORMAL CONDITION, PLAY THE MACROCYCLE.