Ask HN: Elevation Something to Consider When Deciding Where to Live?

4 pointsshiny7y ago3 comments

After reading about how CO2 build up in offices can contribute to lower cognitive performance [1], when considering places to live, I automatically discount elevated places, like Denver, due to fearing similar cognitive degrading effects of having less available oxygen. This is compounded by anecdotes, like TJ Dillashaw moving closer to sea level due to reduced recovery ability when training in Denver [2].

We know that Tibetans have genetic adaptions to living at high altitudes [3], suggesting it's less than ideal for "ordinary" people to live that high. The question is whether it's also less-than-ideal to live even 2k feet above sea level and it's just a matter of severity?

In other words, will a human (let’s say a programmer) living at sea level perform the same as a “fully adapted” person living at 2,200 feet (all else equal)?

Thank you.

[1]: https://medium.com/@dhh/air-quality-matters-but-dont-trust-foobot-on-it-e2df4234a776

[2]: https://youtu.be/BB7tpgwvg1g?t=4110

[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_adaptation_in_humans#Tibetans_2

3 comments

broahmed7y ago

Just want to point out that these are two different things:

1. detrimental effects of too much CO2

2. detrimental effects of too little O2

The short and long-term effects of both may be very different. The human body can adapt to the low O2 at high altitudes given enough time[0], but I don't know if the same applies to high levels of CO2.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness#Prevention

shinyOP7y ago

Right, I didn't mean to imply they were the same, it's just reading about elevated CO2 helped to trigger the altitude fear.

cimmanom7y ago

Some Olympic-level athletes deliberately train at high altitudes because the body responds by making more red blood cells in order to make the most of what oxygen is available. This then gives them an advantage when competing at lower altitudes.

So basically, if you moved to Denver and maintained your current activity level, your body would adapt within a few weeks.

Also, Denver for one is not all that high, even at 5k feet. Visiting there for a few days after several years spent at sea level didn’t result in any noticeable altitude sickness symptoms for me, just somewhat decreased stamina for aerobic activity. (Whereas a few hours spent driving over the continental divide at nearly triple the altitude did trigger very obvious altitude sickness symptoms such as dehydration, sleepiness, and headache.)

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