CARDIORESPIRATORY RESPONSE TO EXERCISE IN ELITE SHERPA CLIMBERS TRANSFERRED TO SEA-LEVEL

Himalayan Sherpas are well known for their extraordinary adaptation to high altitude and some of them for their outstanding physical perform ance during ascents to the highest summits. To cast some light on this subject, we evaluated the cardiorespiratory response during exercise at sea level of six of the most acknowledged Sherpa climbers, mean age (+/-SD) 37 (+/-7) yr old. Continuous electrocardiogram and breath-by- breath pulmonary gas exchange until exhaustion were obtained by follow ing the Bruce protocol. We detected a maximal oxygen uptake ((V) over dot O-2max) of 66.7 (+/-3.7) mL.min(-1).kg(-1), maximal cardiac freque ncy of 199 (+/-7) beats.min(-1), and ventilatory anaerobic threshold a t 62 (+/-4) % of (V) over dot O-2max. These factors could help to expl ain the greater performance level shown by several elite climbers of t his ethnic group. The high functional reserve demonstrated by this ver y select group of highlanders could be associated with natural selecti on and with special physiological adaptations probably induced by long -training in a hostile environment.