JB or LL: Climbing Mt Everest

I have a client who I MAY train who MAY climb Mt. Everest. My question is what type of nutritional program would you recommend?

Also 1 out of every 10 people die on the way DOWN, their body starts to eat itself. SO what would you recommend on the way down

I heard that carbs don’t work well at high altitudes and that one should use a high fat diet, any truth?

I think that the fact that their bodys eating itself would pale ino insignificance compared to issues such as HEAP and other altitude related illnesses. My thoughts are that when on the way down they are 1_ knackered, 2_careless 3_have ahieved the goal, so dont care.

Has he climbed before, whats his ability under that kind of stress. There seems, from what i have seen, a genetic predisposition to succeed or not.

as far as diet on the hill. well if he is in a group, they will have all of that sorted. Feinnes and co when xing the antartic used an extremely high fat diet, just to allow calories to weight ratio to be workable.

Mt.E is 29,000 feet, he’s climb up to 25,000

on the way down…concentrate.

seriously. When the goal is the top, then people will give their all. imagine doing all that, just to be within 2000 feet of the summit and turn back…

most strive to get there, and as such, are spent. the only cure for that is cold hard logic, and you cant train that.

he is obviously in the ownership of some experience at these alts, and as such will be prepped mentally. my guess is, keep BW down, increase conditioning and mental toughness (under fatigue), if you have access to a air rarifier, use that, and adequate functional strength. maybe he should go Mt climbing to hone conditioning and skills.

have you checked out any other resources at all? this could be one of those that you think he needs x and y, but no, he needs z!

check out any work by Dr Mike Stroud. He went with feinnes across anntartica, and had to do such things as muscle biopsies on the way accross!

He knows his stuff wrt extreme nutrition and physiology. he has some books out, and has published works also.

[quote]miniross wrote:

have you checked out any other resources at all? this could be one of those that you think he needs x and y, but no, he needs z![/quote]

I’m just starting to check out other researchs, like I said he still has to decided to do it and I have to decide to train him

He should just bring a sled with him and ride it down.

bump for JB or LL

help me out JB or LL please

Ah, I planned to log off and keep icing my left medial epicondyle…

Well my environmental physiology is rusty but I recall that antacids don’t seem to help, despite some interesting theory to the contrary. Here’s one study…

Aviat Space Environ Med. 1983 May;54(5):397-401. Acute mountain sickness, antacids, and ventilation during rapid, active ascent of Mount Rainier. Roach, RC

Since altitude is a catabolic and even sickening stimulus, one might look around to see if university labs or commercial establishments in his state have environmental chambers to help acclimatize a mountain climbing client. Hard core aerobic training and extended stays at moderately high altitude could help.

This shouldn’t be a hasty decision and to be prudent, I can’t give direct advice here! I will suggest a thorough physical with an MD who knows what might be ahead - and involvement, in as many ways as possible, with those who have already done this kind of thing.

Okay, I’m off to get more ice. Take Care!