Hiking Research News

There are many medical journals specializing in health and fitness related topics, but not specifically labelled hiking Research News.

So it may be tough to find pertinent info for women hikers.

Also, the latest hiking research news may not be high on your list of "must reads".

But there are gold nuggets about hiking nutrition and biomechanics buried in that pile of jargon and statistics which might interest you.

Here's an example: your cells are dependent on fuel biomolecules found in your food and beverages. The latest research has a lot to say about what a hiker should be eating and drinking on the trail.

There are so many variables to consider: gender, age, body mass, level of exertion, terrain, temperature, type of nutrients available, and cardiovascular health, to name a few.

And have you ever wondered about the effect of outdoor time (specifically trail time on job satisfaction? Seriously! Check out this recently published article.

It just so happens that I read 5 hard copy journals and at least that many electronic journals every month, scouring the research results for anything that might help me feel better during a hike, burn fuel more efficiently, recover faster from strenuous hiking, prevent injury, or speed healing in case of an injury.

Here I am, reading hiking research news in my "office"...

Another interesting research angle: how much exercise does a woman need to be "healthy"? And how should a woman begin to walk every day or go hiking after a long period of inactivity?

As you can see, there's a lot of information out there. It's just a matter of:

1. having access to it (I happen to live near some fabulous libraries, and have all sorts of Internet search strategies up my sleeve).

2. understanding medical lingo and statistics (I also happen to have a background in that sort of thing).

3. wanting to share it with other hikers - which is what this website it all about!

My goal is to read through pertinent articles and post summaries of the research here. I break up the summaries by topics:

hiking nutrition;

fitness and strength;

hiking related injuries & healing;

and any other topics you might care to suggest. Use this contact form to ask your question or suggest a topic, and I'll get to work on it right away.

To stay on top of my hiking explorations into the latest gear and information sources, please consider trying my monthly Happy Trails Newsletter. It's easy to sign up, and I will never give your email address to anyone else.