Eating Right During Your Next Adventure

Whether your starting out on a walk, run, or mountain bike ride, it's important to make sure the body is fueled. You know the feeling when your body is not prepared; heavy legs, fading mental focus, and slow reflexes. A nice enjoyable walk, run, or ride quickly turns into an exhausting experience. Here are just a few tips to make sure your body is properly fueled and ready to keep up with whatever adventure you have planned.

The Two Essential Elements

To avoid from crashing, your body needs two things, water, and a generous amount of glycogen. For those of us who do not pay much attention to nutrition, Glycogen (blood sugar) is used by the body to satisfy its energy needs. 

The Pre-Game Meal

It is important to prepare the body for your adventure. Approximately 2 to 3 hours before you head out, make sure to fill up on food items containing low protein, and low to medium indexed carbs. Again for those of us who aren't Nutritionists, low to medium indexed carbs are foods with carbohydrates that are absorbed slowly by the body. The higher the index, the faster carbs are absorbed into the body and converted to energy. Here are a few ideal food items to consume before your adventure.

• Cereal with milk
  
• Pasta
  
• Most fruits and vegetables
  
• Whole wheat products 
  

Fuel on the Go

Your body uses up a lot of energy during your adventure so its important to keep topped up. The body needs energy quickly therefore high indexed carbs are ideal. High indexed carbs are absorbed quickly by the body to provide instant energy. Just in case your not quite sure which items contain high indexed carbs, heres a few items:

• Raisins
  
• White bread
  
• baked potatoes
  
• Sports bars
  

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

When someone is dehydrated, every movement becomes a chore. The key is to make sure you don't become dehydrated because once you do its hard to catch up. Start out by consuming about a litre of water a few hours before your adventure and consume about 250ml of water every 15 minutes while out on the trail. Consuming water is just not enough to rehydrate the body. While you sweat, salt is also secreted from the body. Bring along some Gatorade or Powerade (any flavor will do) to restore the bodies salt levels. Sports drinks also contain carbs which provide the body with energy for your adventure.

When the body is properly prepared for whatever adventure you have in store, it makes the venture less strenuous and more enjoyable. The next time you are heading out for one of your memorable adventures, make sure to eat the proper foods, your body will love you for it.

Happy Adventures,

BikeHike Adventures