SEA-LEVEL PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND ACUTE MOUNTAIN-SICKNESS AT MODERATE ALTITUDE

The effect of previous physical conditioning on young well-conditioned mountaineers in relationship to acquiring acute mountain sickness is controversial. Data show both increased and decreased effects on the i ncidence of altitude illness. How general tourists at moderate altitud es are affected is unknown. To determine the influence of sea-level ha bitual physical activity on the incidence of mountain sickness, We sur veyed 205 participants in a scientific conference at 3,000 m (9,840 ft ). A 36-item questionnaire was distributed to the subjects 48 hours af ter arrival at altitude. Their sea-level physical activity (SLPA) was measured by a published and validated instrument that included questio ns about patterns of work, sporting, and leisure-time activities. Acut e mountain sickness was defined as the presence of 3 or more of the fo llowing symptoms: headache, dyspnea, anorexia, fatigue, insomnia, dizz iness, or vomiting. Most of the respondents were male (62%) from sea l evel (89%) with a mean age of 36 +/- 8.7 (standard deviation) years (r ange, 22 to 65). Nearly all (94%) were nonsmokers, and 28% had acute m ountain sickness. The mean SLPA score was 8.0 +/- 1.3 (range, 5.1 to 1 2.0). No statistically significant difference in mean SLPA scores was found between those with and without acute mountain sickness (8.1 vers us 7.8), nor in the individual indices (work, 2.5 versus 2.4; sport, 2 .9 versus 2.7; leisure, 2.8 versus 2.7). We conclude that habitual phy sical activity performed at sea level does not play a role in the deve lopment of altitude illness at moderate altitude in a general tourist group.