Ingesting the right nutrition allows you to perform at your very best. It gives you energy when you need it most and saves you from crashing in the middle of a difficult or dangerous situation. Taking care of yourself through nutrition is important, especially when you’re trying to perform well in sports and other physical activities. Knowing how to get the most out of your body without pushing it too far is an artform. Part of that delicate balance is nutrition. Below we will discuss how to use sport nutrition in order to feel your best out in the mountains.
Electrolytes are minerals found in your blood, sweat, and urine. They are vital to keep your body functioning, and they help keep you hydrated with a properly regulated muscle and nervous system. It’s possible to deplete your natural electrolytes, like sodium, by drinking a lot of water and sweating them all out. This happens during sports or when the body is exerting itself at a very high level. That’s why athletes and sports enthusiasts often add electrolyte packs to their water. This allows your body to retain more water and gives you the natural minerals you need in high-intensity situations.
Staying hydrated during outdoor activities and sports is vital to having a successful day. The amount of water you need increases with more extreme activities and higher temperatures. On average, women need just over 2.5 liters per day and men need just over 3.5 liters per day. Those numbers increase on hot days when you’re sweating because your body is using more water to cool down. Ingesting supplemental electrolytes can prevent you from becoming dehydrated during sports.
Tell tale signs of dehydration include dizziness, dark-colored urine, confusion, weakness, and low blood pressure. If you experience any of these symptoms, hydrate immediately and include some electrolytes to help your body recover.
Each person is different when it comes to nutrition, but most people need to eat every few hours even without exerting much energy. So if you’re spending time outdoors and exerting a lot of energy, then you might want to increase the frequency of your snacks. For high energy output, this should equate to about two pounds of food per day.
There are a few ways to give yourself a calorie boost quickly while recreating in the outdoors. Having a mixture of light snacks readily available will make short nutrition stops easy, so you can get the added fuel to continue your day. Energy blocks or gels can give you a convenient boost of caffeine and energy too.
Nutrition bars are dense sources of carbs, fat and protein and are an easy on the go snack while active.
Foods like nuts and seeds are metabolized slowly and prevent you from peaking and crashing later. There is no exact calculation for when you should eat; but generally, if you start feeling fatigued or tired, then a snack is probably overdue. The best approach is to consume nutrition before you start to feel hungry, tired, or hangry. Listen to your body and make note when something works well for you.
Some outdoor activities allow plenty of time to sit, relax, and have a nice lunch. If this is the case, then pack a sandwich, wrap, or some other lunch that’s full of protein, carbs, and healthy fat. Comparatively, if you’re going on a serious mission in the backcountry where time and space in your bag are limiting factors, then you might want to think of dense, quick, and easy foods.
Dehydrated food is dense, high in calories and easy to make with boiling water making it a great option for fueling in the backcountry.
Certain foods can have a place in some activities and not in others. For example, nutrition bars can be a quick and convenient snack on the go. However, because of their consistency, they can freeze at cold temperatures and become too hard to eat.
When planning your activity, think about how much time you will have throughout the day to refuel. Make a nutrition plan for the day, so you know how many calories you need, how much protein, how frequently you should eat, and what foods help you perform at your best. Staying hydrated, combined with eating well and frequently, will help you have a better experience in the outdoors.
By Jans Experts