If you are a hiker, you may have already experienced this hunger pang, this heat stroke or worse dehydration. Misadventures which, beyond ruining your day in the mountains, can be dangerous. The pleasure of walking also involves well-managed nutrition and hydration. Your energy resources are not unlimited, a regular nutritional intake will help your body fight against muscle fatigue. Eating and hydrating throughout the effort are the keys to a successful hike!
What are the body's needs when hiking?
Eating and drinking, it seems simple, yet when hiking, it is not always easy to find the right compromise between adequate nutrition and energy expenditure . Because that is what it is: calories that you will burn to generate an effort. Sports such as hiking, whether intense or moderate, require a calorific surplus from your body. For example, 1 hour of moderate walking, on the flat, will make you burn 200 to 400 calories depending on whether you are a woman or a man. Walking at a sustained pace or in the mountains with elevation gain (and sometimes a lot of D+!) can make you burn a minimum of 2000 calories . Knowing that the average daily needs for a woman are between 1800 and 2300 calories and 2300 to 2700 for men. This is almost all of your calories that can be burned! and therefore your energy.
How to eat well when hiking?
It is therefore essential to eat well when hiking. But, be careful to choose the right foods and not to overload your body. Eating on the trails is an art! There is a simple principle that the most experienced hikers apply to their hikes: choose light , compact , non-perishable foods with a high nutritional intake.
-Breakfast: the first meal of the day, it should represent 20 to 25% of your energy intake. In order to cope with the effort, your body needs carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Ideally, you will find these contributions in muesli, dried fruits, chocolate and dairy products. Energy MX3 muesli, for example, completes these contributions. Good and delicious, just rehydrate it to start your day!
-Lunch: throughout the morning, your energy reserves decrease, it's time to recharge your batteries. To do this, choose foods that provide maximum energy value without weighing you down. Digestion itself requires a lot of energy from our body, it would be a shame not to start again! Proteins such as lean meats, vegetable proteins or fish are ideal here. A source of carbohydrates is also essential to provide the energy your body needs: they participate in the storage of glycogen. For example, you can compose your lunch with vegetables and starchy foods prepared in advance and finish with a fruit or dried fruits. Freeze-dried meals are real assets, they allow you to check all the boxes of your nutritional needs, in a light and practical format to take away. Let yourself be tempted by our chicken korma, our freeze-dried paella or our tabbouleh salad starter!
-Dinner: this is the last meal of your day and not the least! Now it's time to recover. You can start with a Chinese soup, which will allow you to warm up if necessary, and rehydrate easily. Proteins and starches are an excellent source to help your body's muscles regenerate. You will find these nutrients in lean meats, vegetable proteins, eggs, fish as well as pasta, rice or potatoes. Freeze-dried meals allow you to have easy-to-prepare, complete and nutritious rations at your fingertips. It's also time to treat yourself! Will you fall for a freeze-dried vanilla dessert cream?
-During the effort: in order to avoid hunger pangs during your hike, it is advisable to eat regularly every 2 to 3 hours without overloading your body. To regain strength, stock up with a cereal bar, an energy bar or dried fruits.
To recap, for an optimal diet during your hikes, choose light foods with a high nutritional intake. We therefore avoid anything that is too bulky, perishable or too fatty and too sweet. We eat regularly and we favor small quantities with a high caloric intake such as dried fruits and freeze-dried dishes so as not to saturate our digestion.
How to stay hydrated while hiking?
We have seen how to eat well, but know that eating well is not everything. Good hydration is essential for the success of your hike. During this effort, your body will lose more than a liter of water per hour and with the heat this quantity increases. However, the human body is composed of 65% water, this plays an essential role on several levels. It is what allows the proper transport of nutrients to our cells, it is also what allows us to regulate our body temperature and avoid "heat stroke". Dehydration can lead to fatigue, cramps, nausea, fever and much more serious disorders that will require hospitalization. Yes, hydration is not to be taken lightly.
Here are some rules for good management of your hydration:
- Drink before you go, this helps prevent water loss.
- When hiking, don't wait until you're thirsty. Being thirsty is a signal to your brain that it's lacking water.
- As with food, drink little but often so as not to saturate your stomach (for example 3 sips every 15 minutes).
- For moderate efforts of less than 2 hours, plain water is sufficient. For more intense or longer efforts, consider supplementing with an energy drink in order to benefit from an intake of energy (carbohydrates), vitamins and minerals.
- In hot weather, remember to hydrate yourself more often; it may be a good idea to supplement your intake with drinks containing minerals such as salt.
- Avoid drinking water that is too cold, which can cause digestive problems. When it's cold, a thermos of tea can help you stay hydrated.
- Avoid consuming too much water-intensive fiber.
- Drink plenty of fluids after exercise to optimize recovery.
Good hydration is one of the keys to a successful hike! Also remember to plan your water reserves carefully so as not to be caught short. As you will have understood, these simple rules on nutrition and hydration are nevertheless essential for the smooth running of your hike. The greatest mountaineers and explorers refuel in this way during their exploits. Don't forget that Mike Horn consumed 12,000 calories per day for his crossing of the Arctic on skis! Get your freeze-dried foods!
Writing: Delphine Danielou
