Water turnover and body compostion during long-term exposure to
high altitude (4900 - 7600 m).
Fusch, Ch., W. Gfr[diaeresis]orer, Ch. Koch, A. Thomas, A.
Gr[umlaut]unert, H. Moeller.
Div. of Neonatology, University Women's Hospital, CH-3012 BERN
(Switzerland), University Children's Hospital, D-72070
T[umlaut]ubingen (Germany), Dept. of Anaesthesiology, Military
Hospital, D-89075 ULM (Germany), Institute for Clinical Chemistry,
University Hospital D-89075 ULM (Germany)
APStracts 2:0510A, 1995.
Thirteen healthy subjects (11 males, 2 females, 30.2+/-5.4 years,
73.5+/-10.3 kg, 178.9+/-10.4 cm, body mass index: 22.9+/-1.6 kg/m2)
participated at the 62-day expedition to the Broad Peak (8047 m),
Pakistan. Weight, body water and water turnover (deuterium dilution
and elimination) were measured eight times to assess long-term
changes. Body weight fell during ascent to basecamp (73.2+/-9.8 kg
vs. 71.7+/-9.7 kg, p<0.05) decreasing until the end of the
basecamp stay (66.7+/-7.2 kg, p<0.001). Body compartments
changed at different rates. Body water decreased during ascent
(43.1+/-7.3 vs. 41.0+/-7.7 l, p<0.05), remained unchanged until
reaching the basecamp (41.2+/-6.9 l, p<0.01), but decreased
further during the basecamp (40.6+/-5.2 l). Water content of the body
(body water/body weight) fell during ascent (58.6+/-3.4 vs. 55.8+/
-4.4 %, p<0.01), approached to baseline during the basecamp
(57.4+/-4.0, 58.3+/-5.1 %) increasing again until the end of the
basecamp (60.6+/-3.4 and 60.9+/-4.3 %). The compartment of the solids
(CS) increased during ascent (30.2+/-3.4 vs. 32.2+/-4.9 kg,
p<0.01) approaching to baseline in the basecamp (30.5+/-4.7 kg).
Until the end of the basecamp, CS fell (26.9+/-2.6 kg and 26.1+/-4.0
kg) indicating that weight loss was due to loss of body solids
presumably mostly of fat mass. Water turnover during the pretest
period (sea level) was 45+/-7 ml/kg/d, it increased during ascent
(56+/-11 and 60+/-10 ml/kg/d), but remained constant during the
basecamp (63+/-12, 58+/-9, and 56+/-10 ml/kg/d). It increased during
ascent to Broad Peak (73+/-20 ml/kg/d, p<0.05) and even more
during descent to civilisation (83+/-17 ml/kg/d, p<0.05).
Received 25 April 1995; accepted in final form 9 November 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A444-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 8 December 95