Adrian Ballinger on Everest

Back at the end of 2015 Mike Brampton and I had a conversation about climbing Everest.

Based on Graph A from Fig 3 in D'Agostino's rat paper

Therapeutic ketosis with ketone ester delays central nervous system oxygen toxicity seizures in rats

our conclusion was that summiting Everest might be best achieved using a ketogenic diet. I know nothing about extreme climbing or the culture which goes with it but it came as no surprise, via Mike, that they carb loaded and carb loaded and carb loaded. You know, sugar has its own partial oxygen supply built in to the molecule. No point trying to burn fat if there's no oxygen*. Understandable but, obviously, completely incorrect. I think Mike had been trying (frustratedly) to convert altitude folks to fat centred thinking for some years before this.

*It's true that there is no point trying to burn fat under anoxia. But given some oxygen ketosis pays dividends.

So it was interesting to pick up this link on Facebook:

How Adrian Ballinger Summited Everest Without Oxygen

This fits in with Veech's concept of increased metabolic efficiency per unit O2 consumed when burning ketones and D'Agostino's discovery of an "unexpected" rise in arterial PO2 in rats gavaged with a betahydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate combination precursor, while they were breathing room air (PaO2 from 100mmHg to 130mmHg, pardon the archaic units).

Very gratifying, even if completely different from the approach taken by Naked Mole Rats and their fructolysis.

Peter