The effects of oyygen on acclimatized men at high altitude

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Abstract
Knowledge of the effects of oxygen on acclimatized men at altitudes above 22 000 ft. depends entirely on the experience of mountaineers on Everest. Experimental data are, however, available up to 20000 ft. from work done on the Cho Oyu expedition in 1952, and up to 21000 ft. from work done on Everest the following year. The results of this experimental work are presented here, followed by the empirical findings of the Everest climbers in 1953. On Cho Oyu in 1952 we studied the effect of breathing different concentrations of oxygen on work rate and lung ventilation. Work rates were compared by timing men ascending a 300 ft. snow slope on a prepared track. Runs were done using open circuit equipment at flow rates of 4 and 10 l. O2/min. The equipment, which was carried on the back, weighed 22 lb. Control runs were done ( a ) breathing air and not carrying the equipment, ( b ) carrying the equipment with the supply of oxygen turned off. The effect of the extra weight of the equipment was to increase the times by approximately 25%. The effect of breathing extra oxygen was to shorten the times by approximately 10 %. The 10 l. flow rate was somewhat more effective than the 4 l. flow rate but the differences were small.

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