High elevations
In a month or so, we will be heading from Alabama to Colorado Springs. The elevation will go from 597 ft to about 6,000. Just wondering if we should expect to "feel" the thinner air, or will we adjust...
Forum Discussion
How much have you smoked? How much aerobic exercise do you get each day? In other words, how good your health?
You'll have to breathe more, harder, to get as much oxygen. So how you adjust depends on how much reserve you have. I know people who struggle with light exercise at sea level, have to ride around on the electric carts to do their grocery shopping, they'll struggle to breath at 6000 feet.
At 35-50, I noticed the difference at Denver's elevation only if I had to hurry.
At 55-60, I could hike all day at 7000 feet, but climbing 6%-15% grades in 90F temperatures would do me in within 15 minutes.
At 65, I could feel I was at 11,000 feet, walking around in the cold air, but not beyond my capacity to breathe.
FWIW, if you fly jetliners, most of the time you will be at about 7000 feet. That is the "official" limit for most of our population, at rest, assuming moderate to good respiratory and cardio health.
The small amount of time you have to travel to that altitude, you will not "adapt." Training athletes to maintain performance at higher altitudes takes months of hard work. You will definitely "feel" the thinner air, and for most people in good health, the feeling is invigorating; if you have respiratory problems, it can be incapacitating.
You'll have to breathe more, harder, to get as much oxygen. So how you adjust depends on how much reserve you have. I know people who struggle with light exercise at sea level, have to ride around on the electric carts to do their grocery shopping, they'll struggle to breath at 6000 feet.
At 35-50, I noticed the difference at Denver's elevation only if I had to hurry.
At 55-60, I could hike all day at 7000 feet, but climbing 6%-15% grades in 90F temperatures would do me in within 15 minutes.
At 65, I could feel I was at 11,000 feet, walking around in the cold air, but not beyond my capacity to breathe.
FWIW, if you fly jetliners, most of the time you will be at about 7000 feet. That is the "official" limit for most of our population, at rest, assuming moderate to good respiratory and cardio health.
The small amount of time you have to travel to that altitude, you will not "adapt." Training athletes to maintain performance at higher altitudes takes months of hard work. You will definitely "feel" the thinner air, and for most people in good health, the feeling is invigorating; if you have respiratory problems, it can be incapacitating.
