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What to Take - Nutritional Requirements
Food satisfies both a physiological and a psychological
requirement. These both become more significant when hill walking.
Our bodies take energy from food when we exercise and the more strenuous
the exercise, the greater are the demands.
The actual amount of energy needed depends on a number of
factors:- your body weight, age, gender plus the distance and total height
gain of the walk.
In hill walking, your muscles need both carbohydrate and fatty acids.
If the available carbohydrate is reduced too much, then you will have
to slow down. Good food also provides the motivation to complete - and
enjoy - your expedition.
The most important requirement is water. When we exercise, our body temperature
is controlled by the evaporation of sweat from the body surface. If your
body is dehydrated, then heat can't be dissipated in this way. This can
result in the rapid onset of heat exhaustion.
Interestingly, thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. It's estimated
that by the time you feel thirsty, you've probably already lost a significant
amount of body fluid. So you should not wait until you're thirsty before
having a drink. Water is probably the best option - and is readily available
from high mountain streams in the UK.
There are also a variety of isotonic drinks now available which aid the
rate at which water is absorbed by body tissues.
However, whatever your choice, drink often. You need to take on a minimum of 2 litres a day.
You need to have enough food with you so that you can avoid
exhaustion due to lack of energy. Exactly how much will depend on the
factors outlined above (i.e. age, weight, gender, distance, height climbed).
You'll want to have food which is light to carry but which is 'energy
dense'. Foods which are high in carbohydrate are a good idea.
A lunch box for a day trip might include :
2 sandwiches (e.g. cheese or peanut butter)
Bar of chocolate
Peanuts
Some dried fruit/cereal bar
2 litres of water
Probably the most effective way to consume food when walking
is to eat 'little but often' throughout the day.
It's also very important that your day begins with a good breakfast eaten
ideally about an hour before the walk start.
At the end of the day, your body will need to refuel. It does this most
effectively within 2 hours of the end of your walk. Again, it is foods
which are high in carbohydrate (e.g. banana, chocolate, cereal bar) which
are most effective.
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