Effect of High Altitude Exposure, Antioxidant Supplementation, and Exercise on Postural Stability

摘要

Hypoxia caused by rapid travel to high mountain areas can have devastating effects on the health and performance of sensitive individuals. To better understand the factors involved in these detrimental effects, in 2002, the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital (PAVA) and the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) culminated a 3-yr study entitled 'Effect of energy deficit on work performance at 4,300 m elevation.' The overall goal was to determine the effects of energy deficit, antioxidants, and carbohydrate supplementation on acute mountain sickness (AMS) and physical work performance during acclimatization to 4,300 m. A substudy, incorporated into the main design, investigated the relationship between postural stability (balance), altitude exposure, exercise, and antioxidant supplementation.