Effects of high-altitude trekking on body composition

• Main Author: Frisk, Ulrika
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Mittuniversitetet, Avdelningen för hälsovetenskap 2014
• Subjects: Extreme environment; fat-free mass; hypoxia; iDXA; mountaineering; weight loss
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-22219

Sojourns at high altitude are often accompanied by weight loss and changes in body composition. The aim was to study body composition before and after 40 days high-altitude exposure. The subjects were four women and six men, non-smoking, healthy and active students and a scientist from Mid Sweden University in Östersund with a mean (SD) age of 26 (10) years. All subjects volunteered for a six-week trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp via Rolwaling in Nepal. Before the sojourn subject’s height was 177 (10) cm and weight was 71.9 (10) kg. Body composition was measured with Lunar iDXA at the Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre in Östersund before and after the trek. Total body mass (SD) decreased from 71.8 (10.0) kg before to 69.7 (9.4) kg after the trek (P=0.00). Total fat mass decreased from 14.7 (5.9) kg to 13.8 (4.6) kg (P=0.01). Fat percent decreased from 21.6 (7.9) % to 21.0 (7.2) % (P=0.03). Total lean mass decreased from 54.0 (10.0) kg to 52.9 (9.7) kg (P=0.01). Bone mineral content was unchanged, 3.04 (0.5) kg before and 3.03 (0.5) after (P=0.13). Thus both total body mass and total lean mass had decreased after a six week trekking in Nepal.