[The sports medical profile of Alpinists (author's transl)]

Questionnaires sent to 293 male and female members of the Swiss Alpine Club provided conclusive sports medical results. 77% of all alpinists had never suffered an alpine accident as yet, but 23% had suffered a combined total of 85 injuries: legs were involved in 55%, arms in 20%, the trunk in 17% and the head in 8%. Sports medical investigations in a random sample of 50 subjects revealed a mean vital capacity of 5434 ml. Ergometric measurements at a preset 250 watt showed a mean maximum heart rate of 164 and mean blood pressure of 236/63 mmHg in the fifth minute of exercise.