Adult Supervision

This past week saw two special arrivals here at the Namche laboratory and they both arrived at the same time. In addition to testing a great amount of Westerners and Sherpas, Xtreme Everest 2 is getting vital data on another population rarely studied at altitude: children! Treks Y and Z, the Young Everest Study, were composed of 12 children, each with a parent or guardian as well as a wonderful pediatric investigator team from London. Although we often joke that kids are merely 'small adults', their physiology is quite unique and though there have been impressive children who have logged high altitude summits, very little is known about how children adapt to altitude and what is safe for their travel at high altitudes.

One thing is certain, however, the children took the science in stride. As an investigator working with the Young Everest study, it was hard not to get enthusiastic along with the children. They were willing to get up early and do the same step test diary that we subject all the grown-ups to as well as a full battery of completely non-invasive tests culminating at everyone's favorite: the exercise bike.

This is one of our amazing Young Everest participants rating her perceived effort (it was a piece of cake)

One particularly stoked little girl was initially ruled to be too short to participate on the cycle ergometer, but here at Xtreme Everest we don't take no for an answer - some foam risers and a load of duct tape and she was peddling her way into altitude physiology textbooks.

As I helped provide adult supervision for the kids of Young Everest, I got a little adult supervision of my own:

The world's highest installment of Duke Anesthesia - from left: Eugene Moretti, Richard Moon, the prettiest hobo in the Khumbu, Chris Young, Peter Moon

I wouldn't be up here without the support of the faculty of Duke's Hyperbaric Center, in particular Dr. Richard Moon. For those of you who don't know, these incredible three months are part of a year of research that I've been conducting in the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology. I've been able to help conduct simulated altitude studies as well as general hypoxia research which dovetails quite nicely with a scientific romp in the beautiful High Himalaya. In fact, one of the studies I helped with was a collaboration between Xtreme Everest and Duke to use our chamber to collect some preliminary data on the epigenetics (more on this later) of altitude and we kept the lines of communication open to sneak me along for the expedition. Not to be left out, Dr. Moon his son and a few of the great docs in the department decided to come along on the Champion's Trek (for those who were too far to get over for sea level testing in London). We have been trading knowledge all year long: they know a lot about how bodies work, especially in extreme environment... and I know a little about what gear to buy and where to buy it (I think I got the better end of the deal).

Race Day!

As investigators, we get tested - originally on a daily basis and after the first week decreasing to a weekly basis. For some unfortunate reason, our battery of tests does not include the bike test... until today! We were included in a couple of studies that the pediatric investigators performed and they asked me and Kay, our lab manager, to hop on the bikes to compare our results to their other studies. For one reason or another, I actually do reasonably well at altitude (so far... knock on wood). I say "one reason or another" because it is probably due to one of two reasons: genetics or epigenetics (or quite likely a mixture of the two). Genetics, as most people know, are the code that is translated into proteins that make up your body - and essentially make you who you are. Epigenetics are a newer and more complex branch of understanding the genome. If genetics are all the words or letters in a book, epigenetics is a combination of punctuation, highlighting pens, and permanent markers that act in concert to change the meaning, emphasis, or black out portions of the genetic code. While genetics are almost entirely fixed and won't change, epigenetics can respond quite rapidly in response to environmental stressors (even in the 15 minutes between the start and end of a cycle test). 

Summing up, I probably have both on my side: 

1. I'm a ginger, which means my genetic code is already well established to be superior

2. I spent about half of my winter semesters in high school and college working hard on two sticks and fresh powder at an average of 9,000 feet (excused absences of course!) and the repeated altitude exposure (although moderate) is enough to create an epigenetic memory in all the right places to help me adapt

Unfortunately, in spite of phenomenal genetics, epigenetics, and beard - I'm still a skinny white kid underneath
All stickered up for the bike test

And now, for the disinterested masses of my friends and family who have soldiered through the boring science and shout-outs, here's the rad-tastic slackline we threw up while bouldering the other day. Eat your heart out:

Set up

Breathe!

In closing, can I briefly plug the most important thing in my life: my faith! This weekend was the April session of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I don't have the bandwidth to stream the talks but I can't wait to download them to my Kindle as soon as they are available in text. To those who share my faith, don't take this wonderful opportunity for granted - listen/watch/read the talks and "be anxiously engaged" as Elder Ballard urged at the last conference. To those who are curious or want to learn more, please investigate here or here or by asking me next time you see me. Thanks and much love!

Namaste