Ask HN: Elevation Something to Consider When Deciding Where to Live?

4 points

7 years ago

After reading about how CO2 build up in offices can contribute to lower cognitive performance [1], when considering places to live, I automatically discount elevated places, like Denver, due to fearing similar cognitive degrading effects of having less available oxygen. This is compounded by anecdotes, like TJ Dillashaw moving closer to sea level due to reduced recovery ability when training in Denver [2].

We know that Tibetans have genetic adaptions to living at high altitudes [3], suggesting it's less than ideal for "ordinary" people to live that high. The question is whether it's also less-than-ideal to live even 2k feet above sea level and it's just a matter of severity?

In other words, will a human (let’s say a programmer) living at sea level perform the same as a “fully adapted” person living at 2,200 feet (all else equal)?

Thank you.

[1]: https://medium.com/@dhh/air-quality-matters-but-dont-trust-foobot-on-it-e2df4234a776

[2]: https://youtu.be/BB7tpgwvg1g?t=4110

[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_adaptation_in_humans#Tibetans_2

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