Muscular exercise in young men native to 3,100 m altitude

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Abstract
Five young athletes native to 3100 m altitude were studied during standardized submaximal and maximal treadmill exercise. Their performance was compared with that of similar athletes living near sea level. Both groups had impressively high values for maximum oxygen uptake (VO2), 66-68 ml/kg per min, at low altitude. Maximum VO2 was decreased more than 25% for the altitude natives as well as the newcomers at high altitude. The altitude natives hyperventilate at high altitude to the same degree as the newcomers, and do not dispaly the relative hypoventilation seen in men native to the Andes and Himalayas. Limitations in the pulmonary diffusion of oxygen and probably a depression of cardiac output, but not pulmonary ventilation, reduce exercise capacity at high altitude. It appears, therefore, that the young athlete of European ancestry acclimatized to high altitude from birth has an oxygen transport system very similar to that of the athlete at sea level.