Mountaineerers Using Vitamin C

[Steve Matthys]

So I was reading Walter Bonatti's book the other day and I read something about him taking Vitamin C on a climb, and then I was watching the movie K2 and saw some guy taking Vitamin C.  So my question is: Why are they taking Vitamin C, or is this just some old day practice that went out with hipies?

[Jesse]

yeah vitamin C, helps reduce muscle soreness.  and fights off sickness.

[7summits]

Here's a famous quote from Mark Twight's great book:
For immune system support, increase vitamine C intake. Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling recommended doses of several grams per day, and while his detractors were many, he outlived most of them...  

He adds:
"When training hard or on a route I'd recommend 1 to 2 grams twice per day. Opinions differ. Sports nutritionist Michael Colgan suggests from 2 to 12 grams of vitamin C for athletes".

[Ron]

With my atletics background I know that vitamine C is also needed to retrive iron from the food you take in. As you know iron is needed to make red blood cells and those are needed for oxygen transport in the blood.
Maybe thats another benefit too.

[MoT]

Vitamin C is required for
Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue, neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, carnitine, conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and enhances iron bioavailability. Ascorbic acid is a great antioxidant and helps protect the body against pollutants.  

Because vitamin C is a biological reducing agent, it is also linked to prevention of degenerative diseases - such as cataracts, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

Ascorbic acid also promotes healthy cell development, proper calcium absorption, normal tissue growth and repair - such as healing of wounds and burns. It assists in the prevention of blood clotting and bruising, and strengthening the walls of the capillaries.

Vitamin C is needed for healthy gums, to help protect against infection, and assisting with clearing up infections and is thought to enhance the immune system and help reduce cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and preventing arteriosclerosis.

More info on free radicals.

Deficiency of vitamin C
When there is a shortage of VITAMIN C, various problems can arise, although scurvy is the only disease clinically treated with vitamin C. However, a shortage of vitamin C may result in "pinpoint" hemorrhages under the skin and a tendency to bruise easily, poor wound healing, soft and spongy bleeding gums and loose teeth.  

Edema (water retention) also happens with a shortage of vitamin C, and weakness, a lack of energy, poor digestion, painful joints and bronchial infection and colds are also indicative of an under-supply.

[trunl]

vitamin C is a must in daily life, but when climbing you have so much more stress on your muscles and you need to take a lot to stay healthy in general

[Buddha]

So, I guess my diet of the Swedish dish, Blood Pudding along with a few glasses of Fresh Orange Juice is great! Everyone knows that blood contains a lot of Iron and OJ contains Vitamin C... 

[Ron]

Strange people those sweeds

I like the swedish wpoman btw...espcially the bikini team

[7summits]

So, I guess my diet of the Swedish dish, Blood Pudding along with a few glasses of Fresh Orange Juice is great! Everyone knows that blood contains a lot of Iron and OJ contains Vitamin C... 

They do sell bloodoranges you know...

Who's blood is in the pudding? Weird stuff in Skandinavia, must be the long nights in winter  :_)

I agree about the women, especially this mythical bus loaded with Swedish nymphonanes :eek)

[Buddha]

Now you're mocking one really good dish     

Seriously, when you hear about it and they explain what ingredients it has you can start to feel disgusted. Anyway, it's pig blood mixed with flour and some other stuff. The dish itself is really old, maybe 200 years old or more.
The pudding is quite firm, like a cheese, so it's doesn't wiggle like tapioca or something like that. It's pitch black and you fry it in a pan in slices about 0.5 - 1 cm thick. Serve with lingonberry jam, which is kind of like cranberries but not exactly.
Come over and try it! You will be surprised!

And now over to the women 
Many Swedish ladies are indeed blonde and blue eyed and animals in the sack... 
After a while though you get bored with them because trying to have a conversation is meaningless. It's like talking to a fish, just big eyes staring back at you and an open mouth which reveals the fact that they lack a brain  
BTW, my girlfriend is Korean... 

[Ron]

well thats a way to first let me almost puke and later on have "happy thoughts"

btw...who wants a conversation anyway