Originally Posted by smokepole
MIght be a short-term fix, but as far as acclimatization wouldn't it be counterproductive? My understanding is that your body makes more red blood cells in response to air with fewer O2 molecules per lungful. So if you add O2 it would interfere with acclimatization, right?

Smokey:

It takes a couple of weeks for an increase in red blood corpuscles to be detectable and over a month to aproximate maximum acclimatization. However acclimatization occurs in a logarythmic curve. So it never really stops getting better. One problem with hyper-aclimatization is that the increased red blood cell content makes the blood prone to clotting (edema). When this occurs in the lungs or brain it can be life threatening. In the legs or arms it can be painful and debilitating.

Employing the "rest step" is the best way for a flatlander to achieve short term high performance at altitude.

KC


Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.