What Happens to the Human Body on Top of Everest

[@willardSpirit]

Westerners climbing to the summit of Mt Everest: greatest achievement ever. Sherpas doing the same: just another afternoon hike up a mountain 💪

[@lollolgameslp]

My grandparents told me, that their trip to the school went over the Mt Everest. Was as normal for them as for the sherpas. xD

[@leventekalman3224]

Plus they're not just climbing the same mountain the same way the climbers, they also carry the climbers luggage with them

[@John-q7m]

Getting paid Vs doing it for fun 😂

[@UIMcocodog]

@@leventekalman3224 done forget the few who go up first to fix the lines for everyone else. theyre actually climbing it. not just following up a pre set safety line......

[@surender7826]

Don't demean westerners they have to take flight to reach nepal, consider how you would reach New York or london

[@spencerthompson1049]

It's amazing I had to the chance to meet Apa Sherpa who's summited Everest 21 times truly an incredible climber. I also went to high school with his children Tenjing, and Pemba did track together.

[@vishalnihal2101]

Being a Nepali 🇳🇵, I got goosebumps when she talked about the special physiological changes in Sherpas.

[@IPIndie]

One could even say you got...chills.

[@MISTERKIC]

I am THE KING of Armchair Mountain Climbing. I fear no footage nor documentary.

[@turtlejeepjen314]

I saw a recent documentary about how the Sherpas have an actual genetic advantage that allows them to breathe the thin mountain air better then anyone else, & also natural physical endurace & better fitness. It was on Discovery Channel… wish I had that.🏆🏆

[@aa6eheia156]

​@@turtlejeepjen314 i think these Sherpas can be great for Space exploration missions where half oxygen is enough compared to normal lowlander astronauts

[@aa6eheia156]

​@@turtlejeepjen314 so if a NASA mission rocket/spacecraft has 30 days supply of oxygen for normal Americans, the Sherpas can survive for 60 days with same amount of oxygen

[@im_a_climber2889]

As a Hobby mountaineer, i really appreciated to learn more about the biology behind it. Thanks for choosing this topic to make yet another great video.

[@MarcPagan]

As a pilot, I find their climb without oxygen amazing. Flying privately in an unpressurized aircraft, I've had pax with hypoxia symptoms at 9,000 feet.

[@granadahills1017]

Flying high sounds like a great way to politely quite one's disagreeable mother-in-law. 😅

[@duncanbryson1167]

I was on a ski holiday to Vail about 30 years ago. One day, just going up in a chair lift from the village to the lower levels of the ski area had me breathing heavily. This was just sitting and not exerting myself. I was in my early 40s.

[@granadahills1017]

Yep. Although not a big "outdoorsman", I'm in very good shape. Yet, if kayaking or hiking above 3K or so, I notice it takes more effort.@@duncanbryson1167

[@whatshisface1390]

What’s pax?

[@granadahills1017]

passengers = pax@@whatshisface1390

[@zoopigeon96]

Was halfway through this video saying “are they even going to mention the Sherpas?”. Good job guys

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

I'm a climber, training currently for Denali. It's the most life affirming thing I've ever done. There's something profound about learning to not take breathing for granted, and mountains give you that lesson.

[@drirene57]

That’s kind of a sad statement. I hope that’s truly not the most “life-affirming” thing you’ve done.

[@murdock8068]

​@@drirene57 Your reply is what's sad..

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

@@drirene57 Well, unfortunately, not all of us can lead lives as exciting as yours, my dear! I must content myself with more meager pleasures 🙂

[@rommyhenley7039]

@@FishareFriendsNotFood972 man is unfazed. climb high man! mountain climbing is so different from the climbing I do at my gym

[@michaelwilcox8187]

Try having asthma

[@alliu6562]

For anyone else reading comments, please understand that Everest nowadays is a dump. People, usually tourists, have left behind gear, garbage, and literal dead bodies all over the mountain. Many of these things cannot be retrieved or cleaned due to the danger of reaching these areas in the first place. The romanticism of climbing Everest has brought so many people there, which has ruined its natural beauty.

[@jdubmaster]

@alliu6562 Sounds like your a hater let people live.

[@kylevanzandbergen3285]

@@jdubmasterwhen just letting people live leads to destruction and pollution, nah. Sounds like you just wanna call anyone championing personal responsibility a hater.

[@craz2580]

​@@jdubmastersounds like you are lacking good oxygenation to your brain

[@Lefthandpath94]

You sound broke

[@Dobebavx0r]

Natural beauty? Do you think this is why people wanted to climb it? Have you not watched the full video too because all this junk and dead people are nothing but motivation to the egoist climbers. It doesn't have to look beautiful to be beautiful. The history and evidence make it always beautiful

[@1TakoyakiStore]

What's interesting is that the anatomical advantages Sherpas have isn't unique to allow one to better handle stress at altitude. Certain native Andean populations also have anatomical differences to help live at altitude. But the interesting thing is these changes are different than that of the Sherpas as they evolved independently. Makes me wonder if a person who is half Andean and half Sherpa would get all of the high altitude benefits of each ethnicity?

[@spindoctor6385]

Those advantages that are genetic have been promoted by natural selection over a long period of time. You would not necessarily see all of those advantages pass down to a single individual, though it is possible. If the two populations were somehow geographically forced together and isolated then you would most likely see them present in most individuals after several generations. (I would guess maybe 8-10 but I studied genetics more in insect, not in human populations so it could be much longer. You would probably need experts in genetics, sociology, economics and statistics to get a good estimate) Modern science would also play a role. Where in the past a person not well adapted to the conditions would be less likely to survive, prosper and procreate to spread their genes to the next generation, now they are more likely. That along with the wider "world society" would probably slow down the rate that the genetic advantages would spread through the population.

[@someguyontheinternet7165]

If I remember correctly the Andean altitude adaptations have a lot to do with the make up of the red blood cells themselves binding oxygen more efficiently and their mitochondria throughout the body also found a way to produce something like 60% more ATP per oxygen molecule. Combine that with the Sherpas and you’d have a serious advantage. Maybe mix in some pacific island heart rate lowering and you could get it even further. The ultimate hypoxic resistant person.

[@Val-in2sz]

This just made the case of Roberto Canessa and Nando Parado so much more amazing. They traversed the Andes mountains without proper equipment or even food for an Amazing 10 days!!

[@achick648]

andeez

[@DrewNorthup]

​@@achick648Regional spelling difference

[@tungsten2009]

@@DrewNorthup its a "deez nuts" joke. Why don't you climb a mountain.... andeez nuts

[@tungsten2009]

the Uruguayan football team guys?

[@John-q7m]

Nah impossible Sherpas were carrying them 😂 no one can climb without them

[@Lauracastro516]

As a medical student who also happens to live at 2600 meters above sea level (Bogotá) watching this video was a delight. Not only all the information was tremendously accurate, but it is depicted in a visually pleasing and comprehensible way!!

[@wednes3day]

Would you mind pointing out some of the more intense inaccuracies?

[@jacktyson8585]

As someone who is currently in their mountaineering documentary obsession, YESSSS this is just the video I needed!!! 🙌🏼

[@someguyontheinternet7165]

Being a pilot, I have some understanding of hypoxia and it just makes this so much more mind blowing. To put into perspective, the *base camp* is already roughly 50% higher than most popular trainer planes can even fly. It’s already more than 3k feet higher than when pilots are legally required to start using oxygen. By the time you reach the peak, if you were in an airplane without supplemental oxygen/pressurization, you would only have about two minutes of useful consciousness. It’s absolutely amazing that anyone has done it. The Sherpa’s adaptation also just makes me wonder what sort of environmental limits we as a species have if given enough time to adapt. How much less air, heat, food, water, light, ect could we survive without if generationally we adapted to it.

[@chicagogyrl4846]

They go to the base camp, and up the mountain up gradually. If they went to the peak in one go, as you are saying, they would be unconscious!

[@Ryzawa]

I didn't really expect there to be a huge anatomical differences, but I really did expect that there was tons of sheer willpower & motivation involved.. Never underestimate how far somebody can go out of sheer stubbornness & abundant drive! The Sherpas are quite literally built different however...

[@rhyothemisprinceps1617]

Thanks for covering this interesting topic (human adaptations to hypoxia) again. Your previous video that covered the Bajau people's ability to do breath hold diving ('The Insane Biology of: Humans') was really great. I don't think some of these studies really get at what is going on at the level of cell & molecular biology, though. There are things about oxygen delivery to tissues and survival of hypoxia that I don't think are presently understood. An interesting adaptation that the Bajau ppl have is a variant in the carbonic anhydrase gene. Beluga whales and llamas have reduced or absent carbonic anhydrase II activity in RBCs. What's cool/weird is that RBC CAII activity in humans was upregulated via repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (was used to help ameliorate anosmia in patients with neurodegenerative diseases) - strange how brain stimulation changes enzyme activity in RBCs.

[@JeremiahPTTN]

“Air sick lowlanders!” IYKYK -Rock

[@benmcreynolds8581]

My imagination can't help but ponder about "What if we leaned fully into scientific research around genetic modification?" ~I know our society has a very paranoid stigma against this but in reality this niche of science could be the thing that improves and adapts our life's in many different beneficial ways. Improving our health, preventing illness, gaining adaptations, the list goes on.. I hope we will get to see cutting edge science get done and fully accepted in my lifetime. (as well as seeing modern nuclear energy options get utilized all around to evolve our power grid) we definitely

[@Sunflowersarepretty]

One of my goals in life is to climb a tall mountain. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone. I know it seems unrelated but I guess this reminded me of it.

[@Enlitner]

Depending on what accounts as a tall mountain for you, you have some options where there are easy hikes up to the top. Mount Fuji definitely is a tall mountain that has a bus service up to close to the top and a reasonably easy hike for the rest.

[@hemipenes_rvt]

It's an incredible experience. I cannot stress enough to make sure you're well prepared and going with an experienced person/group. But very worth it

[@lewismassie]

I've known a few climbers (lowlanders mind you) and yeah, they're a special kind of determined.

[@pixselious]

Amazing video!

[@johnfox9169]

Excellent presentation 😊

[@ojussinghal2501]

I feel like any documentary/explainer involving Sherpas should at least mention the exploitation that they deal with.

[@John-q7m]

It's their choice to get paid or go work somewhere else 😂

[@turtlejeepjen314]

saw a recent documentary about how the Sherpas have an actual genetic advantage that allows them to breathe the thin mountain air better then anyone else, & also natural physical endurace & better fitness. It was on Discovery Channel… wish I had that.🤔🏆

[@b.28]

LOVE THIS!! I always loved your content but im most fascinated by the human body and our potentials. There are so many interesting things like our adaptations to specific sport/lifestyle through environmental or physiological causes. Would love to see you talk about it more!

[@johnfox9169]

I would never, ever jeopardize my brain, my central "computer ", to see if O2 deprivation from high altitude, could cause permanent damage!! WTF!!

[@MadelineGreen-yo9ub]

I grew up in the southern alps and then moved to wellington, a city at sea level and when I went back I was shocked at how short of breath I was doing things that I used to despite being more physically fit. Altitude is no joke and Ive only been a few thousand meters up not 8.8km

[@Zethonring23]

Book rec: The Fear Bubble by Ant Middleton is a great one, he's a former SAS soldier, SAS being the Special Air Service, which is often considered the most elite military in the world, so as you can imagine he's a guy at the peak of human fitness and he gives a detailed account of summiting Everest, and it's a pretty good read

[@Direkin]

It's really incredible how fast the Kirati can climb these mountains. For us it's an arduous trek, but for them it's literally how they get to school every day. Ooh, Namche Bazaar. It's a real relief to get back there after coming down from the mountains.

[@chiptune_]

Just finished reading The Climber / Kakou no Hito the other day; the timing couldn't be any more perfect 😂 I have an entirely different view on mountaineering from just a week ago

[@shivamthakur1176]

Loved this video ❤

[@larsvanhellemondt2851]

Sherpa are the GOAT

[@spindoctor6385]

I find it amazing that the radius of the Earth is about 6400km and we can only survive unaided on a layer about 10km. Less than 0.15%.

[@StevieeeTV]

Amazing video. Next video suggestion, can you do a research on badjao people where why they can stay underwater for a longer period of time? It is good to showcase how the badjao people and the sherpa people can do such an amazing feats

[@e.solano3963]

The D measuring joke got my sub 🤣🙌 great video!!!

[@pwagner7616]

You are doing great job. Greetings from Poland.

[@lasercraft32]

Someday in the distant future, aliens are going to observe and study our behaviors and wonder why the heck we climb mountains, and question what evolutionary purpose it serves... Then when they realize humans seemingly do it just for "fun," they'll be amazed at such a huge scientific discovery.

[@japorto100]

Nice very interesting topic! My question is do sherpas have any advantages/disadvanteges in low altitudes?

[@thegrumpydragon7601]

Do the Sherpa have any negative or positive effects being at sea levels

[@keithb7981]

If this inter sted you, read the book The Brotherhood of the Rope, Crles Houston. Charles was an Army AirCrp Reaseach Physician & elite high altitude climbers and researcher. The first to study the issues covered here

[@Viewer-zs6xj]

First to another amazing video from Real Science !!!

[@derickcastillo9083]

I love your channel. You have a talent for clarity and precision. Thank you for doing these videos! I am a science teacher and I learn so much from you that helps me in my profession. Keep up the great work.

[@salomonsandoval5919]

Your channel it’s like “oro molido” ground gold in Spanish ❤

[@RemiliaVampire]

The Sherpa remind me of Rift Valley Kenyans. These Kenyans are just a few thousand but hold the top marathon times in the world!

[@inumber6]

Awesome video, as always. By the way, what kind of platform or app you use to create those animations ???

[@thefirstmissinglink]

I live at 9k ft. I get lethargic at low altitude. Taking extra oxygen does nothing to me. My geekey friend, tall thin and not athletic comes up to 10k from Florida every year to visit. Both of us over 60y old. He too gets no boost from O2. I generally feel better at higher altitude. My father, now passed away, used to drink alcohol and every time he came to visit from Kansas would get pneumonia and land in the ER. When I go hiking it will take me at least an hour to get into the rhythm sometimes more after which I really don't need to stop and rest. I suppose my family history of asthma and allergies has created a different metabolism to compensate. I encounter lots of people who suffer at altitude where I am.

[@gentlesnot1864]

Can you hold your breath for a long time?

[@kloassie]

3:30 What I find most remarkable is that the Indian plate coincidentally just _happened to be_ already perfectly pre-shaped to fit *_exactly_* into the Eurasian plate 😯

[@aurtisanminer2827]

Something I learned by mistake is swimming underwater as long as you can hold your breath can help your body operate more efficiently on less oxygen. I imagine high altitude exercise works better to acclimate you but that isn’t always so feasible.

[@yookalaylee2289]

Climbing Everest would be more impressive if there werent such a huge monetary barrier to entry. I’m sure you’d find a huge portion of the population capable of ascending easily, but we will never know because it’s a rich persons “spartan race”.

[@FrederickTheGrt]

Everest is the rich man's toilet.

[@bentownsend4017]

0:46 is not a clip of everest, it is a flipped recording of the mountains surrounding the mer de glace under mont blanc, france

[@Davethreshold]

I love all your content, but you talking about us Humans is unique! That one shot of the Gent climbing straight vertically is amazing. I agree with you: I don't get them either! ❤It is amazing how the human body can adapt well to some situations, but not others.

[@Lefty7788tinkatolli]

You know it's bad when you're so high up even the sky is starting to appear darker.

[@danielschechter8130]

People go to all that trouble to climb Everest, but the jokes's on them: you're actually higher up at sea level at the equator than you are on the summit of Everest due to the equitorial bulge. And you don't have to deal with lack of oxygen because the same forces that create the bulge in the Earth make the same bulge in the atmosphere. So there!

[@anniehills3580]

Ummm, it doesnt sound like bs, but.....

[@sirjamesfancy]

11:38 What happens when the air pressure increases? Are there places below sea level with air?

[@johannweber5185]

The coast of the Death Sea (-430 m) and some artificial mines.

[@Kali_naggin]

3:08 They have will power to get up there High.. Will power is more powerful then any kind of magic

[@Mila_Brearey]

Very few can climb without oxygen. Btw ... Everest has only 1/3 the amount of oxygen (less pressure). You said that there is 40% less oxygen which would equal to 60% on Everest.

[@tuxtron1025]

Man... 1/3 the barometric presure thus less gas molecules put together by the atmosphere so you can breath (only actual less oxigen at 11.5k+ meters), legit reading comprenhension.

[@berttorpson2592]

This makes me excited for the creation of the gene seed

[@larcomj]

@0:39 i can here the sherpas saying "hold me beer".

[@myshepspud1]

I feel proud I went from sea level in tropical Durban South Africa to Switzerland, then up a mountain by St Moritz that went from 1800m at the base to 3400m at the top. When I skied down on an empty stomach and one beer, at first it felt like my legs wouldn't work unless I really focused on them. And I as a smoker was huffing with every sharp turn on 45% ice slopes. I can't imagine that base camp is 2km above that.

[@chicagogyrl4846]

You obviously didn’t go up the mountain gradually, and allow your body to get accustomed to the altitude, as those who hike to the base camp do.

[@chicagogyrl4846]

And why are you skiing without eating, and then drinking a beer??!

[@f.a.y.makeithappen4069]

FANTASTIC. VID,,,,,,, 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍,,,,,,,,, THANK. YOU.......

[@AD-lt7jr]

Should be some studies about nims purja physiological characteristics

[@Istandby666]

Making an atmospheric breathing apparatus that will help in increasing the pressure for a human to breathe better.

[@thatcorpse]

To be fair, 747's aren't built to be cruising at that altitude either. 😂

[@JacobGeorge-ub6wi]

Love your videos

[@DrewNorthup]

I think that might be the most blunt comment about Messner I've ever heard! 😂🤣 That said, most exploration of this sort, aside from a certain portion of the population, is as much self-exploration as anything else. It is awesome to be one of the first humans ever to go somewhere (something I have done), but it very often is about knowledge and not balls.

[@RokStembergar]

When people do SciFi, many of them have a concept of the hybernation chamber. Maybe that chamber is more 'dimensional' as currently thought of

[@Bag-Of-Hammers]

I wonder if anyone who reached the top of that mountain saw a plane flying way higher over their heads as they did- and felt bitterness.

[@tyreewadsworth1593]

I feel like sherpas already beat that before these guys.

[@rhyothemisprinceps1617]

Did these studies measure the spleen size of the mountaineers?

[@ustepup]

Make a video on Mount Kailash

[@bluepurplepink]

Holy Gigachad Sherpas

[@deadsykeink3107]

THE MITOCHONDRIA IS THE POWERHOUSE OF THE CELL

[@valtonen77]

What I learned from this video : Šerpas dont get thick.

[@amerz2477]

Excellent

[@CheapRidesAutoSales]

230 people plus all the sherpas.

[@nadionmediagroup]

We might want to train a few of those indigenous divers that have evolved ridiculous lung capacity over long time spans.

[@spindoctor6385]

Screw that, I turn my heater on when it hits 12 C. I could deal with the lack of sleep but I am soft when it gets cold.

[@alphaomega1351]

I'm gonna climb it in one day in my birthday suit only. No oxygen tanks necessary! 😳

[@MysteriousFuture]

The cold will kill you first before the hypoxia 😂😂😂

[@Voicelet]

Sherpa are like the opposite of Bajau who can dive for ten minutes at a time. Though this makes me wonder how Sherpa people do at the sea level.

[@lhhh88]

Imagine if they had a child...

[@758fiyuhbyrd9]

Some people think evolution is like pokemon or something. Thousands of years, very small adaptations but it allows them to thrive in an environment that others find it difficult to just put on clothes. It's kinda similar to the Bajau people.

[@fvdeddrift]

Ah, hahahahaha! Markie Marks! Fantastic!!!! Great content, as usual too! But the MArkie Marks giddy-up is uh-mazing!

[@willestus9120]

Messenger is an exceptional human being he's climbed all the 8000 M Peaks without supplemental oxygen and crossed the continent of Antarctica solo. He said he took two breaths for one step

[@EthanQ]

Let's not forget the thousand of pounds of trash these people hauled up there to dump...

[@ethanstyant9704]

And the permanently frozen piss and shit

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Sherpas are the true heroes of high altitude

[@rutufn0596]

Not so extreme when it's about to take back their trashs ...

[@Absolukely]

I will never understand why anybody besides sherpas would do this to themselves

[@lilyHussey]

Please more ocean content

[@FarhanQureshi-z8c]

Salute nipal

[@Caelia7]

I watched my mother in law die slowly from lack of oxygen. Makes me angry that these people do this to themselves

[@emaciatedunicorn]

I love your videos, and I love that you brought up the fact that sherpas have been mountaineering long before europeans, but I kind of wish you mentioned the environmental damage everest climbers bring and how stuff just doesn't decompose up there. this once beautiful mountain is becoming overrun with trash and feces and dead bodies and I think foreign everest climbers really need to stop altogether.

[@WalterWhite1911]

The fact that you don't understand why some people risk their lives to climb the Everest tells a sad story about you.

[@mukundanm2666]

Link for the research papers pls

[@varunprakash6207]

Climbing Mountain High Altitude The Shrepa climbing mountain very easily The Psychological and Ethnic group Human Body Adaptions of High Attitude Mountain climbers

[@kakaosmagergodt]

wait so temp you say in F and speed in kmph ? choose metric or imperial xD

[@gormauslander]

Do finders keepers rules apply to mount Everest? If someone hypothetically wanted some free human bones... Asking for a friend

[@palpasheev]

“i’ve been looking forward to this” -Dooku

[@katarzynak118]

That really sucks that you mention only those 2 names. Especially that Messner was just lucky being first and is also not the singular and very much not representative how his body behaved in so called death zone.

[@DreamBelief]

Why does everyone act like this is something unique to everest? There are several other peaks that also have this death zone (and that people have died in)

[@SailorIvo]

Good to see your face, we love the content and your voice is super clear, keep it up!

[@Xsuprio]

15:11 .... they... they're Jedi?

[@outlawdingo3020]

so many people have been to everest that theres an actual damaging track worn into the side of the mountain not to mention all the rubbish left behind since most of them think traversing the climb as light as possible helps greatly. the place is a ligit rubbish dump and probably one of the most littered places on earth