Are you fueling your body properly for long hikes?
Proper hiking nutrition and and hydration begins well before a hike. What you eat before, during and after a long hike has a large impact on your energy levels. It also plays a vital role on how your muscles recover after strenuous hikes. In order for your body to recover and keep working properly it needs to have a certain amount of energy.
We don’t always notice our expenditure while hiking and we aren’t thinking about the fact that we are burning anywhere from 600 to 1000 cal per hour.
Here are some helpful tips to help your body fuel up and stay fueled.
-The night before a hike, eat a full meal of complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans, whole-grain pasta or brown rice. When you consume complex carbs your body breaks them down slowly for a sustainable energy supply.
-Morning of hike- it is ideal to eat 1 to 3 hours before your hike and aim for 300 to 500 cal for your pre-hike meal.
-Calories you consume should be around 15% proteins, 50 to 65% carbohydrates and 20 to 35% fats. Carbs provide faster energy and protein replenishes and keeps muscles healthier overtime.
-Aim for high energy snacks while on the trail such as trail mix, granola, beef jerky, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, or banana with a nut butter.
-Hydration is KEY- when you sweat you lose electrolytes. Losing electrolytes can have huge effects on vital body functions. It is very important to drink plenty of water and consume enough salt to help keep electrolytes balanced.
•Start the hike hydrated by consuming 14 to 22 ounces of water about two hours before your exercise.
•Make it a goal to drink 6 to 12 ounces of water every 20 minutes during the hike.
•Recover by drinking 16 to 20 ounces of water every hour after to rehydrate.