According to the results of a study which were published in the journal Obesity, living in high altitudes spurs weight loss which is maintained after returning to sea level -- at least for one month, the amount of time that the subjects were followed after the test.
During their stay on Germany's highest mountain, the men didn't up their physical activity and they weren't put on a diet. Still, the men didn't eat as much -- reducing their calories by 734 calories to about 2,200 calories a day. Their diastolic blood pressure dipped while their metabolism climbed and they lost an average of 3.3 pounds each, according to the study, published Thursday in the journal Obesity.
People often don't feel as hungry at higher elevations; in fact, lack of appetite and nausea are usually the first symptoms of altitude sickness.
What's more surprising is that even after returning home to regular elevations, the guys kept the weight off, at least for the month they were tracked. That's likely because they were able to exercise more thanks to the blood oxygen boost gained upon returning to level land.
The sample study was small, but the results were uniform. Many athletes train at high altitudes because it increases the number of red blood cells and makes exercise easier when they return to sea level. The men in the study found it easier to exercise after they returned from the mountain. We're not sure how this has any practical application for dieters, but it certainly is interesting.
