High altitude studies have contributed to the understanding of human variation. At high altitude (>2500m or 8000 ft) there is a reduction in oxygen availability (hypoxia) because of decreased pressure in the atmosphere or barometric pressure. In spite of that challenge, indigenous high altitude populations have resided in the Andes, Himalayas and Semien Mountains of Ethiopia for hundreds of generations. Studies of high altitude natives, specifically in Tibetans and Andeans, suggest that such individuals exhibit a superior work capacity compared to lowlanders. The majority of performance research on highlanders has focused on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), which is a measure of cardiovascular fitness and represents a peak value of physical performance measured in a short period. A more informative aspect from an evolutionary and energetic perspective is the ability to sustain long periods of work (endurance). However, our understanding of the endurance performance and the relative contribution of developmental effects on work capacity of Andeans is very limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test the effects of development in hypoxia as this relates to endurance performance of Peruvian Quechua at high altitude. This study will use a novel version of the migrant approach, with the addition of ancestry evaluation via genetic markers to assess the individual ancestry proportion of the subjects. The research will be conducted in Lima (500m) and Cerro de Pasco (4,338m), Peru. Two groups will be recruited at sea-level and participate in a 2-month endurance training period. This step is important to control for initial differences in cardiovascular fitness. The two groups will have Quechua ancestry but will differ in their place of birth (highlands versus lowlands). Group 1 will consist of individuals who were born and raised at sea-level, while Group 2 will consist of individuals who were born and raised in the Peruvian highlands and who migrated to the lowlands as adults. This study will assess developmental effects on endurance performance by comparing the two groups that differ in place of birth, first at sea level, and again after transport to high altitude (4,338 m), while controlling for possible confounders (different Native American ancestry proportions and different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness).
This project is the first research that directly addresses the question of endurance performance in high altitude natives, including females, which is lacking in previous literature. Also, by addressing developmental effects on exercise performance, this study will contribute to a better understanding on the mechanism of adaptation to high altitude. The international collaboration of this project will help to create a bridge between complementary disciplines, such as physiology and physical anthropology, and the strengthening academic and research partnerships, which will lead to opportunities for training of Peruvian students and physicians, in a country where physical anthropology is underrepresented. In sum, this study will broaden the understanding in human variation and evolutionary physiology in Peruvian Quechua natives and due to the incorporation of physiological outcomes, results of this research could be of interest to other high altitude researchers who work in health care and to the millions of people who live at altitude.
