What happens to your body at the top of Mount Everest - Andrew Lovering

Explore what happens in your body when you don’t acclimate to higher altitudes and the dangers of altitude sickness.

--

If you teleported from sea level to the top of Mount Everest, things would go bad fast. At an altitude of 8,848 meters, you would likely suffocate in minutes. However, for people that make this journey over the course of a month, it’s possible to survive at the peak for hours. So what happens in our bodies that allows us to endure this incredible altitude? Andrew Lovering investigates.

Lesson by Andrew Lovering, directed by Vitalii Nebelskyi, and action creative agency.
Designed by Alexandra Bolotova
Animated by Volodymyr Boyko

Support Our Non-Profit Mission
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------

Connect With Us
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------

Keep Learning
----------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------

[Leo-ziuf]

Fun fact: Staying at high altitudes before a competition is a form of legal doping in sports. As the athlete will have more red blood cells, they will be capable of more performance.

[chukwuemekecharlesimala]

I just love how TedEd never runs out of animation styles

[deepakpradeep]

4:35 The Sherpa is the first thing that comes to my mind when you talk about people getting accustomed to high altitudes. They're the unsung heroes that helped many mountain climbers achieve the Himalayan mountains. Great video TED!

[dikshantsheoran]

It is a good day, whenever ted ed posts

[ishandiablo]

Recently went to Spiti where average altitude was 4000m. Walking and hiking was not a pleasant experience. But gradually the body adjusted over days. Our bodies are indeed a marvel.

[pradeeplama]

Being a casual Trekker, I must say Wim Hoff's breathing technique, also mentioned in the video, has been really helpful. We must let our body acclimatize before we make the ascend and to do that, we must focus on our breathing as it becomes prominent factor for acclimatization. Hence, this video is a must for those who wants to ascend mountains here in Nepal.

P.s. I have reached the height of 5500m finishing 2 complete trekking circuits in a month.

[mochicheex]

i am a mongolian and my dad always said we r adapted to the high altitude but i never saw it as anything drastic thinking anyone could survive it. but i saw the severity of it when a foreign family stayed in 2500km above and everyone started getting sick few days later. the little girl even had bright red cheeks when she came down. then last week i went to the same place and had zero discomfort. i guess dad was right

[espinacaconpolvo]

A month ago I climbed to one of the highest summits in my country, mount Cotopaxi at 5898 meters of altitude. While reaching the top, there where instances where I experienced fatigue and a shortage of breath but overall the adrenaline and will to achieve your goal always makes you reach the highest summits! Also, I have lived my whole life above 2500 meters of altitude, I would live to know how this had affected my body. :) blessings from Ecuador 🇪🇨

[macadelic]

It’s so crazy how our bodies stay alive for so long and can adapt to so much

[mr.fanstastic]

It cannot be said enough times: No one reaches the summit of Everest without the Sherpas. NO ONE past, present or future, including the greatest Western mountaineers, so show some humility. If you did not carry all the supplies to ABC, if you did not fix all the rope and the ladders yourself, you did not solo independently. FULL STOP!

[Armn]

I already have blood pressure issues since childhood. Few months ago went to Peru. What an incredible country. The highest place we walked at was 5000 meters and let me tell you, it’s not fun lol. I was focused on breathing way more than enjoying the view. Literally breathtaking views. Every movement exhausts you

[MickCorgi]

I appreciate the altitude in metric terms. Hope world aviation and navigation system be unified, too.

[dorkydoodle]

It’s so interesting seeing how altitude sickness can affect the body, especially considering I live at ~7000 feet and don’t feel anything at all, but family members from sea level can get a little sick sometimes when visiting

[jerielk.]

The human body is so amazing, to be able to adapt to situations like that is crazy!
Also, slightly unrelated but this narrator has such a wonderful voice. So calming and relaxed.

[sherlock]

Can't get over the brilliance of the animation.

[alejomontoya]

So, people that climbed the mount Everest are just really skilled, strong, and lucky to the point were scientists don't even know how they did it. Amazing!

[anhduc]

Our human body is incredible, it can adapt with each environment. This video is informative. Thanks Ted for this video. Love it.

[Tango_Mike]

The content itself is awesome but the animations are on a whole different level!

[keykqpu]

High altitude can also result in an inflated ego.

[yashsatam]

These sorts of animations makes learning any concept so interesting!!