Recently I was invited by Trespass to help them with some welcome nutrition advice and planning ahead of their team hike up Ben Nevis.
Now even though its 'just walking' to some of you, spending 8 hours + on your feet over multi terrain can be extremely gruelling, especially if you not used to it.
If you are also doing a similar challenge then let me tell you that nutrition is key. I was asked to do a very basic nutrition article, so if you're wanting more specific in depth information on nutrition feel free to contact me personally at staceysmith.1@hotmail.co.uk :)
Before -Fuel in the tank! ‘Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail’.
Before a challenge like this it is crucial to put enough fuel in your tank the day before. Ever heard of the pasta parties before marathons? This is exactly the same thing....fuelling yourself up the night before is important to allow the body time to digest the food and to absorb all those important nutrients you need. Aim for high carb, lots of vegetables and good proteins. So something like Wholegrain Pasta with homemade Tomato Sauce and Prawns would be great, or for the vegetarians out there Wholegrain Pasta with Lentil Bolognese. We need to stick to Low GI (glycemic index) foods, these are slow burning carbohydrates, they don't spike your insulin levels so you won't feel a sudden rush of energy and then an almighty crash. White carbohydrates have a high GI so you will experience a rush of energy then as your blood sugar dips again you feel lethargic and hungry again. Its exactly like giving a bag of Haribos to a 5 years old... crazy energetic behaviour because of all that sugar in the blood stream and then all of a sudden they crash and burn. This happens with all High Sugar/High GI foods in the body. So stick to your Wholegrains!
Breakfast needs to be similar. Full of Low GI Carbohydrates so that our blood sugar increases nice and slowly. Porridge with Banana and Seeds or Wholegrain Toast with Eggs would be perfect. If your not a breakfast person try a smoothie instead, it is important to eat breakfast so try not to miss it. Something like Banana, Nut Butter, Oats, Avocado with Dairy Free Milk would be a great smoothie, you will be getting great carbohydrates, protein and good fats with this one.
During -Last the Pace! ‘Its a Marathon not a Sprint’.
When hiking for 4+ hours its important to consume food on a regular time scale. You may not feel like it in the first couple of hours, and think your perfectly fine with plenty of energy to go on. But you may find that your energy levels will quickly dip and you will end up 'hitting the wall'. Glycogen in our muscles can decrease rapidly and when doing something like this feeling hungry and tired can hinder your performance big time. So I suggest eating something every hour to keep energy levels high, it may seem excessive to you but 5 hours in and you'l be thanking me.
Don't try anything you haven't tried before! Now isn't the time for experimenting, so if you haven't had energy gels, bars, sweets, shakes before I would advice not trying them today. Ive known runners try these sorts of things in marathons for the first time only to find that their stomachs don't quite agree with them and they end up being sick or stuck in the loo's for sometime. So if you're planning on eating these types of products test them out before today!
Personally I wouldn't have gels,bars and shakes because a lot of the time they are full of additives, preservatives, general junk and I just don't like them. So if you're a bit more health conscious try my energy balls. Full of good fuel to keep you going, they are compact, nutrient dense and high carb for instant energy.
Stacey’s Energy Ball Recipe:
• 1 Cup Medjool Dates
• 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Walnuts
• 1/4 Rasins
• 1/4 Oats
• 1/4 Cup Raw Cocoa Powder
Using a food processor whizz everything up into a smooth paste then roll into balls. ( I roll some in extra raw cocoa powder for chocolate hit).
Also stick to bananas, raisins, dates, nuts, seeds, fruit, honey, nut butters, flapjacks and shakes. Sandwiches with wholegrain bread and lean meats or falafels, brown rice salads, brown pasta salads and potato salads or jacket potato and beans.
Water... this is also extremely essential. You need to keep your body sufficiently hydrated or you run the risk of becoming ill. The simple way to do this is by visiting the loo, your pee should be a light colour and you should be going regularly, 250ml every 30-40mins should be enough.
After- Listen to Your Body! 'The Body is a Temple'.
It's important to get fuel in again to recover. Try and get something little in ASAP (such as fruit, recovery drinks and flapjack) then aim for a full meal 1-2 hours later. Relax a bit here and order what ever you crave...You've earned it! If you can try and get in some good carbohydrates, vegetables and leans meat, anything really heavy might aggravate the stomach, but everyone is different.
Occassionally after you've pushed yourself hard you may not feel like having food, so listen to your body and sometimes your food cravings are actually whatever nutrients your body is depleted in. Clever!
In summary preparation is essential, follow these 3 simple steps and you'll be well on your way to conquering mountains.
Stacey x
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