Nutrition

High Energy Foods For Real Adirondack Sports

by Sabine Weber

Fall and winter are right around the corner and true outdoor enthusiasts tend to rear their heads and reach for their gear when the temperature goes down. It is a popular time for backcountry sports. There is nothing more beautiful than fall foliage on the water and peaks or a blanket of snow on an October morning to start a day in the woods.

Hikers, climbers, campers and paddlers need to pay close attention to what they eat and drink. These sports are high intensity and unlike some other sports often last a full day if not more. As with all sports, nutrition and hydration are keys to having a successful outcome.

The nutrient needs for all day activities like these are high. Energy or calories needed on a day of such activity may be as high as double one’s usual calorie needs. So if you normally consume 2,000 calories a day you may need 4,000 calories on a long hiking day! It is important to bring adequate foods and fluids to prevent a dangerous depletion in a backcountry or water-bound excursion!

Problems arise when trying to bring all the food needed when you want to keep weight and packs down. You also need to bring foods that will not spoil since most of us don’t pack coolers or dry ice. Proper planning for these trips are the key to ensure you have enough food on your outing. Make a list of the foods you will need and estimate the total calories of all food and drink required. Make sure you have enough water with you to have 16-20 ounces of water every hour. If you do not want to carry all of your water, make sure you are aware of the locations of all bodies of water you will be passing so you are able to replenish water when needed. Be sure you have a method to sterilize water with you. You can purchase a water purifying filter, tablets or boil if needed.

Prevent illness and injury! Eating and drinking every hour is essential to prevent exhaustion due to depleted glycogen stores (stored energy in muscles) and dehydration. The time to stop and ask for a snack is not when you are on a rock face overlooking Cascade Lake and tired! Proper nutrition helps prevent injury. The chance of getting injured is greatly increased if one is not properly hydrated or does not have enough food. And if you are alone or with people who are not familiar with first aid, it can be a matter of life or death at this point.

Well-trained athletes will burn more fat for fuel than not, so will trained enthusiasts. I often recommend a higher fat intake for all people participating in outdoor excursions because fat is high in calories, and will have a long lasting effect on energy levels. This includes the good old stable of peanut butter and jelly on multigrain bread, homemade trail mixes with nuts, dried fruit, multigrain cereal, dried hummus or refried bean mixes that just need re-hydration, sports bars, homemade energy bars or fruit chews.

You also need to replace electrolytes throughout your day! The primary electrolytes are sodium and potassium. These are depleted in sweat during backcountry sports and we often deplete electrolytes in these activities more than we do in endurance events like running or biking. According to Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, a pound of sweat contains 80 to 100 milligrams (mg) of potassium and 400-700 mg of sodium. So a full day of activity in the heat can leave one’s sodium and potassium depleted if regular replenishing is not done.

The daily requirements for these minerals or electrolytes are 2,400 mg of sodium a day and 3,500 mg of potassium a day. Low levels may lead to muscle fatigue and cramping. Therefore, it is essential to have sources of electrolytes on an outing. Food sources of electrolytes can be used other than your typical sports drinks. Good sodium sources include salted nuts/seeds, salted nut butters and dehydrated bean mixes with salt. Good potassium sources are nuts/seeds, dried fruits and dehydrated bean mixes. Sports bars, sports gels and sports chews (like Sharkies) usually all have small amounts of sodium and potassium.

Some Great Foods to Pack

Remember to eat and drink before you feel hungry and thirsty! This will ensure that your day in the backcountry will be successful.

Bean’s Famous Chocolate Cherry Bar

Makes 24 Servings. One bar: 429 calories; 37 gm carbohydrate;
10 gm protein; 30 gm fat; 483 mg potassium

4 cups raw cashews
2 cups raw almonds
2 cups raw walnuts
2 cups flax meal
8 ounces cherry juice concentrate
2 cups dried cherries
2 cups grain sweetened or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Using a food processor, chop nuts until ground. Add cherry juice concentrate until paste. Put in large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix together well. Flatten in large baking pan. Chill, cut into bars and enjoy!

Source: Bean’s Goods Natural Foods Recipe

Sabine Weber, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist. Sabine is the owner/operator of Adirondack Nutrition Consulting and Bean’s Goods Natural Foods in Lake Placid. She enjoys running, biking, kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing.

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