Food and nutritional intake at high altitude

Abstract

Individuals who ascend to altitude too rapidly invariably develop acute mountain sickness (AMS) although a high carbohydrate diet may lessen these symptoms. Specific questions addressed in this study were: changes in diet prior to sojourning at altitude; changes in food consumption/nutritional intake, food acceptability, flavour and taste intensities. Nineteen subjects assembled for three days at sea level for baseline measurements consuming a diet of dehydrated rations. This regimen was repeated 18 days later in the Bolivian Andes at approximately 5,600m once subjects were acclimatised. Results confirm a common phenomenon; a reduced dietary intake and body weight loss at high altitude. Other results, flavour and taste intensities and overall food acceptability indicate the suitability of these foods in both environments.

Citation

Edwards, J.S.A., Travis, S.P.L. and Dinmore, A.L. (1998), "Food and nutritional intake at high altitude", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 98 No. 1, pp. 5-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346659810196255