Adaptations of body systems to high altitude

• What happens during acclimatization over a period of 2 or more weeks?

  There is an increase in red blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration
• What are the other adaptations to high altitude?

  -Increased capillarisation

  -Increased mitochondria

  -Oxidative enzymes
• What is increased capillarisation?

  To counteract the lower concentration of oxygen in the blood, the number of small blood vessels in the body increase
• What is increased mitochondria?

  Altitude causes an increase in the myoglobin and mitochondria within cells.
• What are oxidative enzymes?

  Altitude causes an increase in oxidative enzymes in mitochondria, this allows type 1 and type 11a muscle fibres to process increased levels of oxygen for use in the aerobic system