ABSTRACT
The physiological effects of high altitude are classically attributed to the reduction of inspired oxygen pressure and the resultant decreases in oxygen pressures within the body. High altitude populations are also located in the Himalaya, eastern Africa, and the Caucasus of southern USSR. Physiologically the most significant impact of high altitude is the reduction in man's capacity to perform muscular work. From sea level to roughly Denver's altitude there is no measurable reduction in maximum oxygen uptake, so Denver seems to be at the threshold for the phenomenon. Of major importance is the reduction in physical work output of individuals, requiring them to do all things more slowly. Exercise physiologists quantitate aerobic working capacity as the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can consume in a minute when the exertion is of only 3 to 5 minutes duration, usually on a treadmill.
