c2c June 23

[Cy Kaicener]

Hikin Jim - Thanks for contacting Lee and referring him to my website. I also sent him an e mail and referred him to this message board. Lets see if he changes his start time.

[Foleymo]

SS,

I learned my lesson of not eating enough on my Friday hike. I didn't feel like eating a whole lot because of the heat and I paid for it later. I barely had enough strength to get up the concrete walkway to the tram.
Do you have any tips on how to get more nutrients in liquid form? I assume Gatorade/Powerade would be a good start. What else?

Everyone's favorite newbie,

Mike Foley

[doug m.]

it looks as though their trip was cancelled. good news, especially because magikwalt was right about the forecast going up. i guess sometimes interventions work! nice work cy, hikin' jim, et al.

[Hikin_Jim]

Mike:

Nutrician isn't my area of expertise, but here's what I do: I typically bring Gu shots (Sport Chalet, A16, REI, and probably others carry them). They're like a gel that you can take for a quick boost. They help although they're pretty sugary. Cliff shots and Power(bar) shots are also out there but I haven't tried them. Some of these shots have caffeine, so you may want to be aware of that. Caffeine can help with altitude headaches, but it can also exacerbate dehydration.

My philosophy on steep climbs at altitude is carbs. If I eat nuts, cheese, meat, etc. (protein), it seems like it leaves me sucking for air. Things like bread, chocolate, and fruit don't take as much oxygen to metabolize in my experience. I love whole wheat pita bread with Trader Joe's hummus out on the trail. Doesn't seem to weigh me down. I wrap the (unopened) Hummus in a fleece cap and wrap a fleece shirt around that and then bury it deep in my pack (not near my back or to an outside wall) to keep it cool. Works pretty well although I haven't tried it in triple digit heat.

I eat the protein at that steak dinner I treat myself to after an "accomplishment" (or, more truthfully, In n' Out Burger ... mmm ... mmm ... mmm!).

Seriously, others (with more expertise) please post some on this topic. I'm curious to know what other's favorite snacks are on "big gain" hikes and what your personal "intake" philosophies are.

[Perry]

When water is available, I prefer GU's (Big 5 and Running Wild in Palm Springs) and Thermotabs salt/potassium tablets (Rite Aid). When I carry all my water, my favorite off-the-shelf sports drink is GU20 (Running Wild), which has maltodextrin/fructose and a lot of sodium. I have found that Power gels make me feel horrible, possibly because of the high amounts of citric acid.

[KathyW]

Some people, like me, get sick to their stomach when they eat too much fructose; so I try to moderate how much fructose I eat when hiking. Having the runs on the trail is no fun at all. I tend to like Hammer Gel myself, but I'm always trying new things. Lately I've been looking for a product that might help in recover for after a hike.

[magikwalt]

When its cooler my drink of choice is Poweraide. The caloric content and lack of sweet taste sits well with me. However in the heat I give the nod to Gatoraide Endurance gets the nod. The increased levels of sodium and potassium are more than double Poweraide and allow me to continue a strong push without too much worry. Both of my "bad" trips up to the tram have been when I opted for or was forced into a different stratgey. It turns out that all those "sports drinks" on the shelves are different and it really makes a difference in which one is right for you.

I have a bad habit of not taking in fluid at 15 minute intervals but waiting until I'm really thirsty. One of the many things I am working to correct.

My favorite trail snacks are dryed fruit. Typically I'll haul a mix of raisins, figs and mixed fruit packs. I also will bring chips for additional sodium if I'm really expecting the heat or my pace to factor in.

Walt

[Ellen]

Howdy Mike

As the resident sports dietitian, I'll add my 2 cents

Your immediate nutritionr requirements when hiking are water, carbohydrate, and salt. Research suggests that you can abosrb and burn 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour of activity.

To determine how much fluid you need per hour of climbing, you should determine your sweat rate in environmental conditions similar to what you usually hike (more on that in a later post).

In cooler weather, you can take in more calories from carbohydrate (and even a small amount of protein and fat) without experiencing gut distress. As it gets hotter, you're diverting more blood to your skin to cool off. As a result, the muscle, gut, and skin are all competing for blood and you can't take in as many calories or carbohydrate (or digest protein and fat as well).

Sports drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, etc. provide carbohydrate, water, and sodium and help simplify your day hiking nutrition. In hot weather, I use Gatorade Endurance due to the higher sodium. Carbohydrate gels can provide additional carbohydrate and even sodium.

I use Gatorade Endurance and Gu or PowerGel while I'm ascending. I love the caffeine kick from a caffeinated gel at the two hour Once I summit, I eat a turkey sandwich and baked Doritos. On hotter days, I drink more Gatorade Endurance and may use less gels depending on how my gut responds to the heat.

Perry (aka Big Kahuna) has a home-made sports drink recipe. He mixes a more concentrated version in cool weather and a more dilute version in hot weather.

As you can tell from the variety of advice, everyone has experimented with different foods and fluids to figure out what works for them.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[guest]

Hi Mike,
SS here, sorry for the delay.
Ellen, Perry & Jim & the others have given good advise already, here's what I've learned.
Eat & drink a lot the day & night before, especially get hydrated, show up without being, and your toast before you start.
I use Gookinaid (also known as Hydrolyte) many search & rescue teams use it, like Grand Cyn teams, they also give small packets to hikers in trouble to help them out of the Canyon.
I've also used E-Lyte, it's probably got the highest levls of the big 4, Sodium, Potasium, Magnesium & Calcium of any, problem being, there's no carbs in it, the developer's research finds these absorb fater w/ out the presents of carbs.
But, to try & eat all your carbs when it's hot & your breathing heavy is very tough, not to mention your stomach.
I like Crank by E-gel (Running Wild in PS carries it, it's easy to get down for me, less guuy & 150 calories.
I ad maybe a teasspoon or so of sea-salt to my 100oz water badder which sems to help a bit, as I sweat a lot, but I can take the heat because of it.
My other 70 oz. has a slightly diluted (from directions) does of Gookinaid).
So, I can drink water & energy w/ out stopping.

Dates, an apple (or other fruit) not bananas, Ayurvedic medicine states they create internal heat, (maybe ok in the cooler months, there's better sources of potasium).
I move fast, so I try to have most, if not all my chewables down before Flatrock, as the breathing only increases, and whatever you eat after may not get digested by the top anyway.

(My fun food is raw sunflower seeds, toasted almonds & chocolate-covered expresso beans, watch the milk in these when it's hot).

Hope this helps

Happy hiking,

ss

[Ellen]

Howdy all

I agree with Guest's excellent advice to fuel up and hydrate the day before a long, hot climb. I also rest the day before Skyline or other big hikes (e.g. Whitney, San G ridge hike) to allow for maximum restoration of muscle glycogen and fluid stores.

I generously salt my food (for sodium) and eat lots of carbs (I love beans and rice as well as pasta) the day before. V8 juice is also good source of sodium. I drink orange juice (potassium) and eat a banana (potassium and magnesium) the day before.

The morning of a big hike I'll drink up to a quart of sports drink immediately before departing. Due to an early start, I can generally only eat a carton of yogurt. I start drinking from my Camelbak within 30 minutes and have the first gel within an hour.

I carry Smarties because I like them and they're fun to give to first time Skylies

Miles of smiles,
Ellen