Cart 0 forr. And Garcinia cambogia for joint health you're thirsty, you are most likely a quart low. Seeds and legumes sunflower seeds and peanuts in trail mix.

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Performance Nutrition for Backpacking, Part 4: Electrolyte Balance

Endurance nutrition for hikers -

Food tastes better in the outdoors. Yep, even more than that other one. In keeping with its exalted status, it stands to reason that no matter whether you are a gourmet, spartan or somewhere in between, food will play a significant role in your hiking plans.

However, for longer walks, nutritional i. vitamins and minerals needs come into play, thereby necessitating a little more thought and planning in regards to our on-trail diet. Ideally, a balance should be struck between the following five elements:.

Resupply Heaven Castella, CA Pacific Crest Trail, How much food you need depends on multiple factors such as metabolism, level of exertion, age, sex and climate i.

you need more in cold weather. Your own personal experiences in the outdoors will ultimately be your best guide. As a general reference point, it is estimated that for three-season i.

summer, autumn, spring conditions the average hiker should carry approximately 0. How that quantity is divided up will dictate your energy levels and ultimately your overall health whilst out on the trail. Food consists of three main elements: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

To achieve optimum hiking efficiency, we need to strike a balance between all three. For extended hiking trips, nutritionist and long distance hiker, Dr. Brenda Braaten, Ph. For shorter hikes, where potential weight loss is not so much of an issue, you can decrease the amount of fatty foods you carry and increase the quantity of carbs and proteins.

Snacking regularly every one to two hours , as opposed to three big set meals a day, is conducive to a more efficient hiking approach. Most importantly, by feeding your body small amounts at regular intervals, it is easier to maintain your energy levels throughout the hiking day.

I recommend doing this every once in a while or whenever you feel like you need a nutritional tune-up, because tracking every meal every day becomes labor intensive. The ideal macro mix for you depends on your sport and physiology.

Likewise, some endurance athletes perform well on a high-carb diet while others have a hard time tolerating this type of eating. Carbs are an important energy source for endurance athletes. Keep in mind that not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs like white sugar, white flour, white rice, and white potatoes can cause spikes in blood sugar levels that stimulate your body to produce insulin.

This can actually work to your advantage when you need fast energy during or right after a strenuous hike. But eating too much of these foods in your daily life can promote fat storage and also increase your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. A better strategy for your everyday diet is to get your carbs from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

When choosing packaged products like whole grain bread and pasta, check the ingredient label. Those of you who were around for the 80s and 90s remember the low-fat diet craze! Low-fat goodies like Teddy Grahams and Snackwells snack cakes flooded the market.

Sadly, recommendations to eat a low-fat diet sparked an epidemic of heart disease and obesity in the United States. Through long-term nutrition research, we now realize that some types of fat can balance blood cholesterol and promote heart health.

Because fat digests slowly, it can also help you feel fuller for longer, which means you eat less throughout the day. Monounsaturated - raises good cholesterol HDL and lowers bad cholesterol LDL. Found in olive oil, canola oil, olives, nuts, and avocados.

Polyunsaturated - also raises HDL and lowers LDL. Found in fish, flax seeds, walnuts, green veggies, and many plant oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are specific kinds of polyunsaturated fats that are essential to prenatal development and help to prevent chronic disease.

Saturated - May raise LDL when consumed in abundance. Plant-based sources like coconut oil may have less impact on cholesterol than animal-based sources like red meat, dairy, and butter. Trans - This manmade fat found in processed foods raises LDL and lowers HDL and should be avoided whenever possible.

In the United States, processed food can contain up to 0. Endurance athletes strain their muscle and connective tissues on a daily basis. In order to fully recover and repair the damage, your body needs a steady supply of protein. The average adult requires a minimum of 0.

However, endurance athletes and people who are actively building muscle need more: about 1. Your body needs 20 different amino acids to function well. Some of these it can synthesize, but nine the essential amino acids can only be obtained through diet.

The quality of a protein source depends in part on the number of amino acids in contains. Whole proteins contain all nine essential amino acids, including the essentials. Examples include meat, eggs, and soy products.

Some whole grains, like quinoa, are very close to whole proteins. Some examples of complementary proteins include:. Grains and legumes beans and rice, peanut butter on whole-wheat toast. Grains and dairy macaroni and cheese, whole-grain cereal and milk. Seeds and legumes sunflower seeds and peanuts in trail mix.

While the market is flooded with protein powders and bars, most endurance athletes can get enough protein through their everyday diets. However, a protein product can be a convenient way to kickstart your recovery after a workout.

In general, you can drink when you feel thirsty and stop when you feel hydrated. Good news! Only partake if you tolerate coffee well no upset stomach or anxiety. How can you get more consistent about cooking and eating healthy? And how do you fit these disciplines into a busy life?

Here are a few time management tips. Set aside 30 minutes each week to plan your meals and write your shopping list. Put shopping and meal prep times on the calendar and keep them sacred. To save time, cook up a big batch of something healthy and separate it into meal prep containers.

Supplements are a huge, money-making, poorly regulated industry that may not give you much return on investment. For example, drinking branched-chain amino acids for recovery probably is going to make less of a difference in your performance than eating extra veggies and getting plenty of sleep.

And the veggies and sleep cost a lot less! Getting too much of some nutrients can actually harm your body.

If you like, you can take a multivitamin for extra insurance. For this reason, look for supplements certified by the United States Pharmacopeia USP , which independently verifies nutrition information. This is an amazing cookbook for busy athletes! One caveat: these authors are definitely not afraid of saturated fat, so keep an eye on your intake.

This nutrition manual from the Harvard School of Public Health is a fascinating read that will make you a more savvy consumer of nutrition information.

I especially enjoyed reading their critiques of the U. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and their alternative recommendations. Note that most of the advice is geared toward non-athletes, so not everything will apply to you.

You may need a higher-carb diet than they recommend, for example. If you want to continue the discussion, be sure to hop in the Facebook Group. Colorado 14ers. Mount Rainier. Blogging Resources. Travel Insurance. Gift Guides. Morning Routine Checklist.

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How important is sports nutrition for endurance athletes? VERY VERY. This was driven Endurance nutrition for hikers uikers me Natural fat metabolism a Endurance nutrition for hikers ago when Hikerz was training hikerw an ultramarathon and running about 40 miles a week. My fitness was improving, but I was ignoring other areas of my health. During that time, I got caught up in socializing, staying out late, going to shows, going on multiple dates a week, and drinking lots of IPAs. I caught a cold that lasted for a month and flared up any time I ran hard. These Probiotic Foods for Energy are from nytrition own experiences and Endurznce research Garcinia cambogia for joint health Endutance. They also come Nutririon some conversations with extreme athletes and accomplished climbers. You might talk to your doctor about any specific nutritional needs you might have. Endurance hikers and climbers will tell you that you need carbohydrates. Also, there are different kinds of carbs — simple carbs such as sugars are only OK as a short-term shot of energy, not ideal for hiking.