The Best Fuel for High Altitude, Part 2

In my previous post on The Best Fuel for High Altitude activity, it seemed that Glucose would be more efficient from an oxygen availability standpoint. This may technically be accurate, but it may not be the entire story.

In June 2014, I was visiting friends in Vail, Colorado where we did some hiking. At this time, I had been in Ketosis for several weeks with an average BHB level of 1.5 to 3.0 mmol/dL. My cardiovascular performance seemed significantly improved, despite not doing anything to prepare for the lower oxygen environment.

Could it have been the Ketones?

According to this podcast (30:55) with Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, it does appear that Ketosis has several benefits that may balance out the higher oxygen requirement to obtain the Ketones. Dr. Dom states that some people note an increase in cerebral blood flow and hypothesize that the diuretic effect of Ketosis counteracts the inter-cranial pressure, as one experiences when diving underwater which is his area of study. 

Furthermore, Ketosis might be a natural defense against weight loss at altitude as noted in this Pub Med article, as Ketosis are noted to produce fewer reactive oxygen species in the brain and be more muscle sparing than Glucose. Least not of all, is that Ketones produce more ATP than Glucose making it a more efficient fuel per gram.

So, while it may require more oxygen to burn fat, it would appear that being in Ketosis and/or having some free Ketones in your blood would be beneficial for high altitude activity. For the latter, I would recommend Bulletproof Brain Octane and Keto//OS.

Stay well engineered,

Devon

If you found this information helpful, I would appreciate it if you clicked my Referral Link and checkout all the great Bulletproof products for yourself.

Connect with me to receive updates when I post next.
Follow @biohackineering

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These statements or products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.