The Ultimate Guide to High-Altitude Mountaineering Water Intake
Introduction
Are you experiencing headaches? Do you easily get fatigued, or find it hard to recover from fatigue? Are you experiencing swelling or constipation? Are you suffering from cerebral edema or pulmonary edema?
These are common challenges faced by every mountaineer during climbing expeditions. Here, we introduce a universal remedy for high-altitude mountaineering – water!
In modern sports theory, replenishing water in the body is highly important and valued by many. Water is the only element in the body that can be sensed when it is lacking. When you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated by more than 2%. Therefore, even when not thirsty during exercise, water should still be consumed.
The Impact of Dehydration in Mountaineering
Even a slight loss of water (dehydration) can impair physical performance. Losing 15% of water can be life-threatening.
Dehydration during exercise can lead to:
- Decreased blood volume
- Reduced blood flow to the skin
- Reduced blood flow to muscles
- Increased body temperature
- Fatigue
- Decreased blood pressure
- Dizziness
- Fainting
Why Water is Essential for Climbers
Replenishing freshwater during exercise will “close” thirst and “open” the kidneys. Along with water, a certain amount of electrolytes (Na, K, Ca, Mg) should be replenished to maintain ionic balance in the blood.
In laboratory tests, it was found that the thirst caused by losing 4 quarts of sweat can be quenched with just 1 pint of freshwater in a short time (1 quart = 2 pints), while consuming sports drinks with electrolyte components can reduce urine output by 33%.
The average person should consume 2-3 liters of water per day.
Common Mistakes in High-Altitude Mountaineering Water Intake
Mountaineering, like all other sports, has its unique characteristics. However, in today’s mountaineering, the attention to water replenishment has not received enough attention. As mountaineering becomes more accepted by people, the following phenomena are common:
- Many people have long durations of high-altitude sickness due to insufficient water intake after reaching base camp, and some even fail to complete their planned climbing itinerary.
- During the trek, due to fatigue, cold, and inconvenience, many people cannot actively replenish water in time, or unknowingly replenish water before feeling thirsty, leading to increased climbing fatigue and high-altitude sickness. During mountaineering training, in order to train the so-called “thirst and hunger resistance,” water intake is reduced or stopped during high-intensity training, not realizing that this long-term dehydration will greatly reduce the body’s function and affect the training effect.
- After reaching the camp, especially at high altitudes, many people cannot or do not want to drink a large amount of water due to fatigue, and the difficulty of melting snow for water. Instead, they only sleep and rest, causing the high-altitude sickness to worsen the next day or fatigue to not recover.
- In order to enhance the taste, many people drink coffee, tea, chocolate, and even alcohol. However, coffee, tea, and chocolate have diuretic effects and can only provide 50% effective water. The metabolism of alcohol requires a large amount of water, thus affecting the sufficient intake of water.
Physiological Changes at High Altitudes and Water Needs
Unlike other sports, mountaineering is a special activity. Mountaineering is generally carried out in a special environment with high altitude and hypoxia, which puts pressure on the body while exercising and adds hypoxic pressure. Many new problems arise, which place higher demands on water replenishment in high-altitude mountaineering activities:
Because of hypoxia, your body needs more red blood cells! This allows the blood to carry more oxygen, transporting it to your various tissues. After reaching high altitudes, the spine will quickly produce a large number of new red blood cells, but the new red blood cells will make your blood thicker.
Due to the dry and thin air at high altitudes, the amount of water lost through respiration increases significantly, making the body prone to dehydration, further increasing the viscosity of the blood.
To cope with hypoxia, the body increases its breathing rate and depth, causing excessive carbon dioxide to be excreted, resulting in the body’s fluid environment becoming more alkaline, leading to “alkalosis.” Alkalosis will cause an imbalance of ions, causing body tissues and cells to begin to accumulate fluid, leading to edema, and even causing blood to become thicker.
Thicker blood means slower blood circulation, and blood cannot quickly reach the capillaries, resulting in slow and inefficient oxygen delivery. Various organs of the body react due to hypoxia (such as headaches), your muscles cannot get sufficient oxygen, leading to climbing fatigue and slow recovery, making it difficult for the body to recover.
Thick blood causes slow microcirculation in the extremities, making it difficult to obtain enough energy, and making various degrees of frostbite more likely to occur.
Due to reduced water intake and edema, the large intestine cannot obtain enough water to dilute waste, leading to difficulty in excretion, and even severe constipation.
Therefore, in high-altitude climbing, every climber should consume more water every day to achieve water balance in the body, so as to adapt to high altitudes in a short time, achieve good physical condition and physical fitness, get rid of headaches, swelling, hemorrhoids, fatigue, and other painful conditions. It can be said that water is a universal remedy for high-altitude mountaineering!
Precautions for High-Altitude Water Replenishment
- Consume a large amount of water every day, roughly 4-5 liters/day;
- Drink 1-2 liters of water 1-2 hours before departure;
- During the climbing process, replenish water whenever possible;
- After reaching the camp, even if very tired, do not immediately sleep, spend some time melting snow, and drink about 2 liters of water.
- Coffee, tea, and chocolate have diuretic effects, providing only 50% effective water, so it is necessary to reduce the intake of such beverages.
- If you want to reach the summit or relieve headaches sooner, do not drink alcohol. The metabolism of alcohol requires a large amount of water (when drunk, everyone will be very thirsty), which is a huge burden on your body.
- Adding sugar to water can quickly replenish energy during the trek and increase taste. A mixture of various sugars will accelerate sugar absorption (glucose, fructose – honey, sucrose…); adding a certain amount of Na, K, Ca, Mg ions to water will improve the ionic balance of body fluids; adding some vitamins can effectively supplement vitamin intake and alleviate “alkalosis” in the body.
It can be seen that drinking water thoroughly determines our climbing and health conditions at high altitudes. Drinking water correctly will allow us to go further and climb higher!
Preparation Before High-Altitude Activities
Mental Preparation: Good mental resilience is key to overcoming difficulties and high-altitude sickness. Optimistic individuals tend to have milder reactions, while those burdened with fear or excessive mental stress may experience worsened symptoms.
Physical and Fitness Preparation: Before going to high altitudes, it’s important to ensure your body is in good physical condition. Training specific to high-altitude activities, such as mountaineering or trekking, is essential. However, for most leisure outdoor activities at high altitudes, focus should be on preventing altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is not necessarily related to physical strength but to the body’s adaptation and adjustment capabilities, so there’s no need to train excessively. If you’re unsure, you can engage in aerobic exercises a month or two before the trip, such as jogging. However, in the week leading up to the trip, it’s important to rest and avoid strenuous exercise.
Knowledge Preparation: Understanding the high-altitude environment, sports, medical care, climate, and customs is essential. Having a good grasp of high-altitude adaptation and mountain sickness and how to deal with them is crucial for a safe and smooth high-altitude experience.
Equipment Preparation: Depending on the type of high-altitude activity (e.g., hiking, cycling, driving), adequate equipment should be prepared. In addition to personal gear, it’s important to have appropriate seasonal clothing, as high-altitude areas experience large temperature differences between day and night and abrupt weather changes. Even in clear summer weather, warm clothing and rain gear are necessary.
Protection Measures
Mastering methods to deal with altitude sickness can reduce its impact on your high-altitude activities, enhancing your overall experience and happiness.
Hydration: Drinking plenty of water is the best way to alleviate altitude sickness. Drink water frequently, but control the amount each time. Upon arrival at your destination, drink a large amount of water to hydrate fully.
Cold Protection: High-altitude areas are characterized by low temperatures, with a general temperature drop of 5-6°C per 1000 meters in altitude gain. There are significant temperature differences between morning and evening, and in some areas, the temperature difference can reach 15-20°C. Weather changes quickly, so it’s important to protect against cold to prevent colds. When engaging in outdoor activities in the plains, changing clothes frequently to adjust for temperature is common practice. However, in high-altitude areas, you should change into warm clothing as soon as you step out of the vehicle, based on not feeling hot. Waiting until you feel cold means that the cold has already begun to invade and stimulate the body’s reaction, making it easy to catch a cold. Remember, the highlands are the enemy of cold sufferers. Even a slight respiratory infection can increase the risk of high-altitude pulmonary edema. If you notice early symptoms of a cold, take cold medicine immediately. Waiting until the symptoms worsen will generally be ineffective. For those experiencing severe respiratory distress due to altitude sickness, if it is decided to descend and stop high-altitude activities, oxygen can be appropriately used to alleviate the suffering.
Dietary Structure: In a high-altitude, low-oxygen environment, the body’s metabolism is affected, and the functions of the digestive system (stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder) are relatively weakened. Therefore, the body’s ability to digest and absorb food is reduced. Conversely, the body’s energy and vitamin consumption increase significantly. Studies have shown that the daily energy consumption in high-altitude areas is 3%-5% higher than usual, and it is directly proportional to the altitude. The vitamin consumption in hypoxic conditions is 2-5 times that of normal conditions. Therefore, in high-altitude diets, the emphasis should be on the body’s ability to tolerate the digestive system and improving nutritional balance.
High-Altitude Activity Skills: When first arriving at high altitudes, it’s important to control your exercise rhythm, intensity, frequency, and volume. All activities should be done slowly, even tasks as simple as going to the bathroom should be done slowly, especially as altitude increases. This is particularly important for team members who like to move around a lot.
Sleep Adjustment: Nights at high altitudes are often more difficult than days, and sleeping can be uncomfortable, often leading to insomnia or shallow sleep. The lower air pressure and reduced oxygen content in the air at night, coupled with decreased photosynthesis by plants, further reduce oxygen levels, affecting the quality of sleep. Insomnia and shallow sleep are common at high altitudes.
UV Protection: The high altitude and thin air on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reduce the barrier to ultraviolet rays, which can easily damage the skin and eyes, especially in snowy areas. Protective measures must be taken to avoid harm. Even on cloudy days, sunscreen should be used because UV rays can still burn the skin. Sun hats, sunglasses, sleeves, and headscarves are necessary. Both men and women need sun protection.
FAQs
What are the signs of dehydration in high-altitude mountaineering?
Dehydration can manifest as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, and fainting. Recognizing these signs early is crucial for maintaining health and performance.
How much water should I drink during a high-altitude climb?
Climbers should aim to consume 4-5 liters of water daily. This helps counteract the increased water loss due to dry air and physical exertion.
Why is water with electrolytes important?
Electrolytes help maintain the ionic balance in the blood, which is essential for muscle function and overall hydration. Sports drinks with electrolytes can be beneficial in reducing urine output and maintaining hydration.
Can I drink coffee or tea during a climb?
While coffee and tea can be consumed, they have diuretic effects and provide only 50% effective water. It is better to focus on pure water or electrolyte-rich drinks.
Is alcohol consumption advisable during mountaineering?
No, alcohol should be avoided as its metabolism requires a large amount of water, which can lead to dehydration and increased physical strain.
What can I add to my water to improve hydration?
Adding sugar can quickly replenish energy, and mixing various types of sugars can accelerate absorption. Including Na, K, Ca, and Mg ions, along with vitamins, can improve the ionic balance and alleviate alkalosis.
