Abstract
Exposure to chronic hypoxia exceeding 4 to 6 weeks results in a loss of body mass (1) almost equally partitioned between fat and muscle tissue (2). A reduction of muscle mass, particularly in the lower limbs, has been reported anecdotally in the past by many climbers. This has been documented by Boutellier et al. (3) who found an average of 12 percent decrease of muscle mass post-versus pre-expedition in a group of climbers of the 1981 Swiss Mt. Lhotse Shar (8398 m) expedition.
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© 1991 American Physiological Society
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Cerretelli, P., Kayser, B., Hoppeler, H., Pette, D. (1991). Muscle Function at Altitude. In: Lahiri, S., Cherniack, N.S., Fitzgerald, R.S. (eds) Response and Adaptation to Hypoxia. Clinical Physiology Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7574-3_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7574-3_15
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