Category Archives: Altitude

Para-Monte UoB Study Participant Tackles Aconcagua

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Para-Monte is starting 2018 off with exciting news of the Agoncagua climb by Matt Shore, one of the participants of our Environmental Extremes Lab Para-Monte funded altitude tolerance study.

Matt is a Personal Trainer and with three of his friends, will attempt to climb this highest mountain in the world, outside the Himalayas, starting his expedition on 5 January 2018.
Matt, like others, has also been instrumental in the Paramonte Altitude Study being carried out by the Environmental Extremes Lab at the moment.  He was able to take part in the 8 hrs hypoxic chamber test to find out his susceptibility to simulated altitude, which will be very important for his expedition.

Upon reaching the summit, he plans to hold a Para-Monte flag which will be a great endorsement for the charity and what it is doing in terms of altitude awareness. 

Congratulations to Matt for taking on this challenge, for helping raise altitude awareness and of course we wish Matt and friends every success!!

You can follow his progress via daily videos or follow Matt on the following link.

Altitude Support for British Airways

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The Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit (SESCU) and Para-Monte have recently supported six members of staff from British Airways prior to their climb of Jebel Toubkal (4167m) in Morocco for Comic Relief.

They visited the lab and performed an Altitude Screening Test in the hypoxic chamber, which is able to simulate the effects of high altitude through reducing the oxygen levels compared to sea level.

The chamber was set at 3000m whilst they walked at 5km/hr and at a 10% incline, with various measures being taken throughout. This included the Lake Louise Questionnaire which assesses the presence and severity of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) through an individual’s self-reported score on five symptoms: headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue and/or weakness, dizziness/light-headedness and difficulty sleeping. The LLQ scores showed that four of the individuals were at low risk of AMS, however one was at moderate risk and one was at high risk.

Oxygen Saturation was also measured which is the percentage of oxygen in the blood that has bound with haemaglobin. Oxygen saturation declines with altitude as the atmospheric pressure deceases, however the rate varies considerably between individuals. Comparing the oxygen saturation drop to previous data indicated that five members of the group were at low risk of AMS and one was at moderate risk.

SESCU and Para-Monte also provided the team with equipment to use on their trek to assess their physiological responses to altitude and their risk of AMS. They found that those who presented the highest risk of AMS in the Altitude Screening Test also presented the highest risk on the trek.

The whole team managed to reach the summit safely and no-one reported any severe problems, nor required medical support. They believed the information they had received during the screening had implanted the self-awareness to slow down, break, take on fuel and water and slowly ascend.

 

“The information provided by the University of Brighton certainly helped us prepare for the challenge, and made us aware of the signs and symptoms of altitude illness”

Congratulations to Dr Ben Duncan!

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Congratulations to Ben Duncan who passed his PhD defence on 20 January with only minor changes to complete the process.

Ben’s work was on the effects of low oxygen concentration, high altitude exposure, on metabolism of fuel in humans. He did a lot of work in the labs and also translat-ed this to field work during an educational and developmental trip by staff and stu-dents to Peru. A well rounded set of skills and experiences. Congratulations to Ben’s supervisors; Associate Professor Peter Watt and Dr Alan Richardson too!

Ben Duncan (right) with co-PhD graduates Gareth Turner and Jess Mee

Congratulations to Dr Gareth Turner – Awarded PhD!

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Gareth Turner was awarded his PhD subject to minor corrections on Thursday 8 December. His PhD thesis, entitled “Hypoxic exposure to optimise altitude training adaptations in elite endurance athletes” was examined by Dr Charlie Pedlar (external examiner, via Skype) and Professor Jo Doust (Internal Examiner). Dr Neil Maxwell (supervisor) sat in on the viva and he said “there is no question the examiners were thorough, but they complemented Gareth on the work he had done, not least as he effectively served two masters in the university and the English Institute of Sport (EIS).” This was a particularly important PhD for the School, being part funded (£40k) by the EIS and strengthened the relationship between the University of Brighton and the EIS. Both examiners encouraged Gareth not to let the data and research sit just within a thesis, as there was valuable information and outcomes that could benefit athletes in the future. Congratulations should also go to the other supervisors (Dr Alan Richardson and Dr Jamie Pringle) for all the support they have given Gareth over the years and of course the extended team at the English Institute of Sport and British Athletics (not least Dr Steve Ingham, Dr Barry Fudge and Dr Emma Ross). Gareth currently works fulltime as a physiologist for the EIS, contracted to British Rowing.

Gareth Turner (left) with co-PhD graduates Jess Mee and Ben Duncan

Congratulations to Dr Rosie Twomey – Awarded PhD!

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Congratulations to Dr Rosie Twomey who successfully defended her PhD entitled “Neurophysiological Responses to Rest and Fatiguing Exercise in Severe Hypoxia in Healthy Humans” on 10 November 2016. The external examiners Dr Jamie McDonald of Bangor University and Dr Thomas Rupp of the University of Chambery (France) were very impressed with the quality of Rosie’s work, as well as the quality of her thesis. A clear illustration of this is the absence of any request for amendments to the thesis post-viva!

Rosie was supervised by Dr Emma Ross and Dr Jeanne Dekerle before Emma left for the English Institute of Sport. Jeanne officially became lead supervisor on Emma’s departure and was supported by Dr Neil Maxwell. Jeanne said “Rosie is a wonderful person, she must be proud of her achievement and totally deserves this success”.

 

Mount Everest Climber Visits University Laboratories

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Bonita Norris, alongside Indus Films, visited the Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit (SESCU) to film a promotional trailer for a new “Extreme Environments” documentary. The video was shot in the Welkin Laboratories as part of a pitch being made to Red Bull TV to commission the project.

Bonita reached the summit of Mount Everest in 2010 as a 22-year old. At the time, she was the youngest British woman to achieve the feat, and held the record until 2012.

Bonita was put through her paces in a range of extreme environments by SESCU’s environmental physiologist and PhD candidate, Ash Willmott, and SESCU manager Alex Bliss. The three environments simulated in the laboratories in Eastbourne ranged were -20 degrees Celsius, +45 degrees Celsius, and 5000m above sea level.

SESCU and Indus Films will look to provide support for Bonita as she prepares to encounter a range of extreme environments as part of the four-show series.

If you are interested in hearing about our “Extreme Environments” support packages then please email sesconsultancy@brighton.ac.uk

EEL Members Deliver Extreme Altitude Preparation Day

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In August 2014, a group of colleagues from Centrica Energy in Windsor visited the University of Brighton’s Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit (SESCU) for an Extreme Altitude Preparation Day.

The day was in preparation for the group’s Mount Kilimanjaro challenge in October 2014. During the challenge the team raised £11,736 for Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS). BIBS supports babies and their families in a special care baby unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

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