Anatomy & Physiology: High Altitude Adaptation

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Table of Contents

Introduction
High Elevation Adaptation
Why Athletes Train In High-Altitude Areas
Why Some People Cannot Cope With High Altitude Conditions
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The altitude gradient influences substantial changes in human physiology. Across different altitudes, temperature and humidity decrease as increased latitude changes. However, altitudinal gradients do not differ in the length of the day and solar angle of incidence as in latitudinal variations. Still, they result in dramatic barometric pressure changes influencing diverse biological processes, including metabolism rate and aerodynamic performances. Mountainous places tend to be functionally isolated due to the elevation belts constraining physiological capacity. This paper looks into high-altitude human physiological adaptations to altitudinal temperature, oxygen, and air density, even though the adverse effects of high altitude are not confined to humans alone but extend to plants and animals and play a role in speciation.

High Elevation Adaptation

Athletes born and living in a high-altitude area have naturally larger lungs to cater to the need for increased oxygen in the low-oxygen concentration area. This adaptation gives them a ‘barrel chest’ appearance since the rib cage is wider. Athletes from lowlands moving to a high-altitude location to train cannot adapt to the rib cage and lung sizes. Athletes born in mountainous areas have also been noted to have many red blood cells compared to those living in lowlands.

People moving from low-altitude lowlands to mountainous regions usually suffer headaches, nausea, and brain swelling due to a short-term lack of oxygen (Kenneth, 2020). This difference is explained by their respiratory systems that are not adapted to mountainous areas. Therefore, developing a response or adaptation to these low-oxygen concentration areas takes time.

Why Athletes Train In High-Altitude Areas

People born in mountainous areas have been noted to have many red blood cells compared to those living in low lands, making them good marathon athletes. Athletes moving from lowlands to highlands experience health problems that require them to adapt to new environments. In response, the body of such an athlete produces additional red blood cells for efficient and effective transport of oxygen within the body. The body takes from two weeks to two months to adapt to living at high altitudes. The adaptation can be hindered by conditions that hamper the proper production of red blood cells, and such people should seek physician’s counsel before moving (Storz, 2021). The conditions of these people may get worse rather than improve, characterized by breathing problems and arthritis. Nevertheless, as a result of the increased number of red blood cells and expanded rib cage, athletes who successfully adapt develop endurance in athletics. This is the reason why athletes train in high lands.

Why Some People Cannot Cope With High Altitude Conditions

Genetic adaptations play a role in aiding high-altitude dwellers to adapt to high and dry living conditions as well. Whereas some people living in high-altitude areas experience breathlessness, palpitations, and dizziness, others have no such health problems. Their bodies have increased red-blood cells; more viscous blood may sometimes block blood vessels. This difference has been linked to genetic adaptations. The genetic changes allow high-altitude inhabitants to extract enough oxygen from the thin mountain air. They, as a result, have less likelihood of suffering heart attacks and strokes of chronic mountain sickness. The genetic component allows high-altitude dwellers to adapt quickly and live better in these high and dry environmental conditions. According to Storz (2021), people living in mountainous regions and whose ancestors had done so for generations had less chronic mountain sickness. They were found to have differences in 11 gene regions compared to people from low lands. The genetic mutations have helped athletes from the highlands do better than low-land athletes.

Conclusion

The ability of high mountain dwellers to live in high and dry conditions and develop endurance in athletics is, therefore, a result of many adaptation responses to their environments. Lowland athletes can also acquire these traits by moving to the highlands to train and developing secondary adaptations that can increase their athletic endurance. However, before one makes such a decision, it is imperative to seek physician counsel.

References

Kenneth, S. S. (2020). Anatomy & physiology: The unity of form and function. McGraw Hill.

Storz, J. F. (2021). High-altitude adaptation: mechanistic insights from integrated genomics and physiology. Molecular biology and evolution, 38(7), 2677-2691.

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Anatomy & Physiology: High Altitude Adaptation

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