HIGH ALTITUDE SUPPLEMENTS

*THIS ARTICLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE MISTAKES. THEY HAVE BEEN CORRECTED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE, AND ELABORATED ON HERE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.

FEW THINGS ARE AS MIRED IN VOODOO AND INFLATED CLAIMS AS SUPPLEMENTS, RANGING FROM MARK TWIGHTS LIST IN EXTREME ALPINISM TO ALL THE UNTESTED REMEDIES FLOATING AROUND THE BAZAARS OF CENTRAL ASIA. THEY RANGE FROM THINGS TO SUPPORT HEALTH, TO MITIGATE ALTITUDE, AND EVEN CURE THE EFFECTS OF SERIOUS STAGES OF ACUTE MOUNTAIN SYNDROME.

AS OUR TRIPS ARE SELF-SUSTAINED, LIKE ALL THINGS WE TAKE ONLY WHAT IS PROVEN TO WORK, ALREADY HAVING INVESTED HEAVILY IN OUR WELL-PROVEN PREACCLIMATION. ALL THE SUPPLEMENTS IN THE WORLD WON’T MATCH UP TO QUALITY ACCLIMATION WHERE YOU EAT, HYDRATE, SLEEP, RELAX AND GAIN ALTITUDE WELL, SO WE TAKE IT FROM THERE RATHER THAN THE USUAL PARADIGM OF FIGHTING BAD ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.

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OUR TRIPS ALREADY HAVE THE BEST FOOD OF ANY EXPEDITIONS GOING, THE CUISINE OF CHINA, TIBET AND XINJIANG GUARANTEE IT, AS DOES THE AVAILABILITY OF RESTAURANT-GRADE SOURCES THAT MEANS WE EASILY COVER THE NEEDS OF HUNGRY CLIMBERS. BUT, ONCE ON THE MOUNTAIN EVERYONES NUTRITION AND CONDITION IS THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY. THE SUPPLEMENTS LISTED HERE ARE THE ONES WE SEE WORK.

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COFFEE

COFFEE WORKS, BLOCKING FATIGUE AND WORKING AS A MILD DIURETIC (SEE DIAMOX BELOW). ON TOP OF GOOD ACCLIMATION, COFFEE SETS YOU UP FOR THE APPROPRIATE EXERCISE LEVEL THAT GENERATES STRESS, THEN WEARS OFF IN A FEW HOURS ALLOWING REST.

COFFEE IS WELL KNOWN FOR STIMULATING PERISTALSIS, THE ACTION OF THE COLON, ie MAKING YOU TAKE A SHIT, WHICH IS A VITAL FUNCTION OVER LONG TRIPS, ESPECIALLY COLD ONES WHERE THE METABOLISM CAN SLOW. IT ALSO ACTS AS A SORT OF OVERDRIVE, FOR EARLY STARTS AND LATE FINISHES, PUSHING AN OTHERWISE FLAGGING MIND WHEN IT WILL BE NEEDED MOST.

IN THIS CAPACITY COFFEE IS MORE OF A NOOTROPIC, GOVERNING A MATCH OF METABOLISM AND GLOBAL FUNCTION OVER A DAY. IT BECOMES COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE IF IT INTERFERES WITH SLEEP, AND IF THE ADDICTION IS DISRUPTED, SO NEEDS A STRATEGY FOR USE.

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IBUPROFEN

IBUFROFEN IS AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, WHICH HELPS WITH THE PRESSURE FROM EDEMA, AND IS A FAVOURITE OF MICK FOWLER WHO SWEARS BY IT FOR HIS STRATEGY OF ‘ASSISTED ACCLIMATION’. RELATIVELY HARMLESS WITHIN NORMAL, TEMPORARY USE, DOSING TO SLEEP WHEN YOUR METABOLISM SLOWS ALLOWS YOU TO GET THE MORE IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF REST.

RELIANCE ON IBUPROFEN IS PROBLEMATIC AS IT MASKS INDICATORS OF PROBLEMS, SO NEEDS TO BE KEPT WITHIN A STRATEGY WITH CLEAR LIMITS. IT SEEMS TO INHIBIT BOWEL FUNCTION, WHICH IS A RED FLAG AND IS BEST NOT COUNTERED WITH COFFEE, GETTING INTO A SPIRAL OF DEPENDANCE THAT IS BETTER RESOLVED IN OTHER WAYS.

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ASPRIN

ASPRIN IS SWORN BY AS A ‘BLOOD THINNER’ WHEN ALL IT DOES IS KILL PAIN THE SAME WAY IBUPROFEN DOES. AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO IBUPROFEN IT FILLS THAT GAP, BUT SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN TOGETHER.

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ELECTROLYTES

YOU PISS MORE WHEN ACCLIMATING SO IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND ELECTROLYTES HELP FIX WATER IN THE BODY SO IT CAN KEEP BEING PISSED OUT. SANS ELECTROLYTES, YOU ARE SIMPLY DEPLETING YOUR MINERAL BALANCE WHICH CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS RANGING FROM CRAMPS TO HYPERNATREMIA.

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DIAMOX

DIAMOX IS NOT DOPE, THE WAY SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN OR ‘PRE-DEXING’ IS, BECAUSE IT DOESN’T MASK SYMPTOMS OR REPLACE YOUR ORGANIC ABILITY. WHAT DIAMOX DOES IS ENHANCE WHAT THE METABOLISM IS ALREADY DOING – CREATING ACIDOSIS – SO TISSUE CELLS CAN GET BACK TO NORMAL REGULATION. DIAMOX DOESN’T MAKE YOU PISS AS A SIDE EFFECT, AS CAFFEINE DOES, IT DOES THIS AS A PRIMARY EFFECT TO EXPELL EXTRA CO2 THAT IS DISRUPTING PROPER FUNCTION.

DIAMOX IS FOR ACCLIMATION ONLY, AND CAN MAKE PEOPLE SLUGGISH AND MESSY SO SHOULD BE STOPPED AS SOON AS FEASIBLE.

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VITAMINS

A GENERAL MULTIVITAMIN HELPS STAVE OFF DEPLETION ONCE TRIPS START GETTING LONG, BUT NEED TO BE TAKEN FROM THE START, NOT ONCE ISSUES SET IN. 3000mg OF VITAMIN C A DAY SEEMS TO HELP STAY ON TOP OF IMMUNITY, AND B VITAMINS APPARENTLY COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF STRESS.

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GARLIC, GINGER, PEPPER & CHILI

CLAIMS ARE MADE FOR THIS SPICES, AND MAYBE ARE REAL, BUT WHAT MATTERS TO US IS THAT IT STIMULATES APPETITE. BEING AVAILABLE IN POWDERED FORM, THESE ARE EASY TO CARRY, AND BOOST FLAGGING ATTITUDES TO EATING TO HELP KEEP KCALS INCOMING.

COMBINED, THESE SPICES MAKE MOST THINGS TEMPTING, AND EVEN MAKE A SIMPLE SOUP WHEN HYDRATION IS THE PRIORITY. IN AN OTHERWISE CRYOGENIC WORLD THE SMELL OF THE BAG BEING OPENED CAN BE A REAL INJECTION OF SENSORY STIMULATION.

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OLIVE OIL

FAT IS HARD TO GET ENOUGH OF, AND WHEN DEFICIENT MANY RESORT TO SUGAR TO RELIEVE THE ITCH. THIS IS FOLLY, TURNING CLIMBERS INTO STRUNG OUT JUNKIES, PROBABLY LEADING TO THE NOTORIOUS ‘MID-TRIP BLUES AND STRESSES’ THAT CAN DAMAGE A TRIPS COURSE.

OLIVE OIL IS A STABLE, HEALTHY OIL THAT IS EASY TO CARRY AND INGEST, EVEN BEING DRINKABLE UNLIKE SOME OTHER GOOD OILS LIKE FLAXSEED.

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CUP NOODLES

THE ANTITHESIS OF PROPER FOOD, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE OTHERWISE TOXIC MIX OF SALT, FAT, HIGH GI CARBOHYDRATE AND FLAVOUR ARE THE ONLY THING THAT WILL PULL YOU OUT OF TUNNEL VISION-LEVEL DEFICIT.

OF COURSE CHINA IS THE WORLD CENTER FOR INSTANT NOODLES, WITH A ZILLION VARIETIES, AND A STASH OF PACKS FOR WHEN ALL YOU CAN DO IS COLLAPSE IN A TENT IS THE ONLY TIME THEY ARE JUSTIFIED.

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PROTEIN & AMINO ACIDS

A PROPER DIET SHOULD HAVE THE PROTEIN YOU NEED WHILST CLIMBING, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU WILL RUN LOW AS IT’S USUALLY CONNECTED TO FAT, WHICH DOESN’T METABOLIZE WELL. BARS HELP, HALF FOR THEIR KCAL CONTENT, AND GO WELL IN A DAYS CLIMBING FOOD.

PROTEIN POWDERS AT ALTITUDE ARE THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES, SERVING ONLY SUCCESSFULLY AS SWEET DRINKS. MANY A CLIMBER HAS COME HOME WITH BAGS OF THE STUFF UNTOUCHED, THOUGH A SMALL RESERVE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CRAPPY JUNK ON REST DAYS ISN’T A BAD IDEA. JUST MAKE IT A FLAVOUR THAT’S A GUILTY PLEASURE AND GET YOUR REAL PROTEIN FROM FOOD.

AMINO ACIDS HAVE NO EVIDENCE THEY DO ANYTHING, BUT THE WATER YOU DRINK WITH THEM WON’T GO AMISS.

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MCTS

YES, WE WENT THROUGH THE ‘BULLETPROOF’ CRAZE A DECADE AGO, AND THOUGH WE DON’T THINK IT’S MAGIC WE DON’T THINK IT HURTS. WHAT WE DON’T LIKE ABOUT MCTs IS THEY REQUIRE A STRATEGY THAT IS BETTER DEALT WITH BY JUST GOOD EATING, MAKING THEM FINE AS AN OCCASIONAL SUPPLEMENT BUT NOT SOMETHING TO RELY ON.

FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE STUFF THERE ARE BETTER SOLUTIONS, ie REAL FOOD, BUT A FEW SMALL SINGLE DOSE PACKETS MIGHT HELP DURING REST PHASES, IF ONLY TO PROMOTE BOWEL ACTIVITY.

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PROBIOTICS

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF PICKLED FOODS AND YOGHURT IN CHINA, ESPECIALLY TIBETAN AND UYGHER AREAS, AND PROBIOTICS ARE ANOTHER THING BEST EATEN AS REAL FOOD RATHER THAN IMBIBED AS ISOLATED SUPPLEMENTS. STILL, IF YOU HAVE A NORMAL DIET HIGH IN THEM, THEN YOU WILL NOTICE IT WHEN YOU STOP, SO LIKE MCTs A SMALL AMOUNT FOR IF YOUR BODY SLOWS WILL KEEP YOU CONSISTENT.

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AGAIN, WE POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE THE SUPPLEMENTS WORTH CARRYING, AND THIS LIST DOESN’T COVER REAL FOOD, SNACK BARS OR MEDICATIONS. THESE ARE THINGS THAT A CLIMBER TO ALTITUDES ABOVE ABOUT 6000m WILL SEE WORK ON TOP OF QUALITY ACCLIMATION, QUALITY DIET AND KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

THIS LIST DOES NOT SPEAK FOR TRIPS AT LOWER ALTITUDES, TRIPS WITH LARGE LOGISTICS OR TRIPS USING ENHANCED ACCLIMATION SUCH AS NORMOBARIC TENTS OR SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN, THAT DO NOT SHARE THE SAME DEMANDS AS HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINISM.