Nutrition in the Mountains

Nutrition in the Mountains

Breakfast under the blue Skies at Sandakphu                                                       Photo Credit: Vishwas Raj

 

A person on an average burns somewhere around 2500 calories in a day. But life in the mountains is anything but average. Carrying a bit of weight and hiking for 5-6 hours will burn as much as 5000 calories, add to that the altitude factor and it might end up being much more. With all this burning of calories, it becomes very important for us in the mountains to refuel ourselves with the right nutrition. Before we go into too much technicalities, let us broadly classify the nutrition requirement of your body in the outdoors for better understanding of the subject. Let us divide it into two parts. i.e.

1. Nutrition while on the move
2. Overall nutrition

The little snacks or bars that you eat while you break during a hike all come under nutrition on the move. And the big meals of the day takes care of your overall nutrition. So let us discuss them in detail. NUTRITION ON THE MOVE Whether you are hiking, cycling or running, any aerobic activity for a prolonged period (more than an hour) needs to be supplemented with adequate nutrition. Your body usually has all the energy it needs for activities performed for less than an hour and it only requires you to hydrate. But while on the move, your body mostly burns carbohydrates, so they should be your main component while refueling. Apart from carbohydrates, aerobic activities for long duration will also have its impact on muscles, so you need to mix it up with some proteins, fat and fiber for sustained energy needs and also for reducing muscle damage. Now that you know this, it is simple for you to pack stuff in your day pack. Your main nutrition component on the move will be the carbs with a good mix of proteins and a little bit of fat. So what are your options for refueling on the trail? 

Energy Gels - They are a great way to replenish your carbohydrate reserves. Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and your blood. To replenish the ones stored in your muscles, it needs to be digested and hence takes time. But the energy gels provide a quick way to refuel your carbohydrates stored in your blood which eventually helps in your performance in endurance activities.

Nutrition/Energy Bars - They have a great mix of carbs, proteins and fibers as they contain sugars, nuts and dry fruits all of which will supplement your requirements when on the trail. Nuts/dry fruits and sugars can also be consumed separately and work in the same way but these bars are easy to carry and hassle free when you are packing for a big trip at home.

Hydration - Though re-hydrating doesn't really come under nutrition, it is very important in the mountains, especially at high altitude. Hydration doesn't just involve drinking water, it needs to be accompanied with the necessary salts that you are losing on the trail. You can manage to hike without the need of energy gels or bars to refuel as your meals can take care of supplementing them but your body cannot perform well without hydrating regularly.   OVERALL NUTRITION Your body performs several other activities apart from hiking when you are in the mountains so you can't just rely on the things which are meant for the trail for nutrition. Your meals are as important in the mountains as they provide you with a good base of reserves which acts as a backbone to all the other nutrition taken by you. The overall component of your intake remains the same i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fat, but the way they act in your body is different.

A good dinner at the end of the trek day                                                                Photo credit: Pawan Bisht

 

The carbohydrates in your meals get stored in your muscles after getting digested which means that once the carbs in your blood are exhausted, the reserves in the muscles take over. Similarly, proteins in your meals don't just prevent muscle damage but helps rebuild them. Fat content too is equally important as in high altitude your muscles are constantly over worked due to lack of oxygen and fat makes up by preventing too much muscle loss while on an expedition. So having a balanced meal with all the necessary nutrition is very important. Hot fluids like tea and soup not only compliment your meals but also make sure that your core body temperature is maintained and hence your body doesn't waste energy trying to maintain the ideal temperature.

Nothing warms you up like a hot cup of chai

 

So next time you are in the mountains, please take care of your nutrition needs and focus on getting it right. It is very easy to neglect it, especially at high altitude when your appetite goes down. Having a good nutritious diet greatly effects your performance and in turn helps you have an enjoyable experience in the mountains. Happy Trekking!

SHARE THIS STORY