Search

Altitude hypoxia induces changes in iron homeostasis with serum ferritin (sFER) response being recently linked to erythropoiesis. The main aim of this study was to investigate sFER and Vitamin D (Vit D) response to hypobaric hypoxia, taking into account factors including nutrition and ethnic origin. As part of a "Kanchenjunga Exploration & Physiology" project, 6 Italian trekkers and 6 Nepalese porters took part in a 19-days long altitude trek in the Himalayas self-recording daily food consumption. Blood samples were collected and analyzed before and after the trek for sFER and Vit D. A web-based system calculated the dietary intake, generating reports that were used for later statistical analyses. sFER decreased after the trek (on average by 26% p  = 0.013, partial η 2  = 0.479) in both groups, whereas Vit D did not change in both groups. Nepalese tended to have lower sFER, but this difference was reduced when corrected for the dietary intake. Mean Cell Volume (MCV) and Hematocrit (HCT), in respect to baseline, remained higher 10 days after the trek (respectively, 87.37-88.85 fL with p  = 0.044, and 43.05-44.63% with p  = 0.065) in Italian trekkers. The observed reduction of sFER levels was related to altitude per se as inflammation or anemia were medically excluded. sFER, therefore, may act as a primary factor in the examination of hypobaric hypoxia in field studies. The results of this study open a new door into the mechanisms of iron homeostasis in specific tissues related to hypoxia adaptations, taking into account dietary intake and ethnic origin.

High-altitude exposure leads to many physiological challenges, such as weight loss and dehydration. However, little attention has been posed to the role of nutrition and ethnic differences. Aiming to fulfill this gap, five Italian trekkers and seven Nepalese porters, all males, recorded their diet in diaries during a Himalayan expedition (19 days), and the average daily intake of micro and macro-nutrients were calculated. Bioimpedance analysis was performed five times during the trek; muscle ultrasound was performed before and after the expedition, only for the Italians. The Nepalese group consumed a lot of rice and only Italians consumed cheese. Water intake was slightly over 3000 g/d for both groups. Nepalese diet had a higher density of dietary fibre and lower density of riboflavin, vitamins A, K, and B12. Intake of calcium was lower than recommended levels. Body mass index, waist circumference, fat-free mass, and total body water decreased in both groups, whereas resistance (Rz) increased. Italians reactance (Xc) increased at day 9, whereas that of Nepalese occurred at days 5, 9, and 16. The cross-sectional area of the Vastus lateralis was reduced after the expedition. Specific nutritional and food-related risk factors guidance is needed for diverse expedition groups. Loss of muscle mass and balance of fluids both deserve a particular focus as concerns altitude expeditions.

Altitude exposure affects hormonal homeostasis, but the adaptation of different populations is still not finely defined. This study aims to compare the mid-term effects of combining physical activity and altitude hypoxia on hormonal profiles in foreign trekkers coming from Italy versus indigenous Nepalese porters during a Himalayan trek. Participants (6 Italians and 6 Nepalese) completed a 300 km distance in 19 days of an accumulated altitude difference of 16,000 m, with an average daily walk of 6 h. The effect of high altitude on hormonal pathways was assessed by collecting blood samples the day before the expedition and the day after its completion. Foreign trekkers had an additional follow-up sample collected after 10 days. The findings revealed a different adaptation of thyroidal and gonadal axes to mid-term strenuous physical activity combined with high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia. The thyroid function shifted to the protective mechanism of low free triiodothyronine (FT3), whereas the gonadal axis was suppressed. The Italian trekkers and Nepalese porters had lower total testosterone and 17-β-estradiol levels after the expedition. At the follow-up, the Italians had increased testosterone values. Prolactin secretion decreased in the Italians but increased in the Nepalese. We conclude that exposure to high-altitude affects the hormonal axes. The effect seems notably pronounced for the hypothalamus-pituitary gonadal axis, suppressed after high-altitude exposure., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)