Maintaining Energy Level During a Hike

Maintaining your energy level during a hike depends on a steady fuel supply. The human body has a remarkable capacity for fluctuations in fuel. If your car has an empty fuel tank, it shuts down. But if you have an empty fuel tank (your stomach), all of your systems remain online, at least for a while. Why?

Your liver, and to a limited extent your skeletal muscles, deliver "fuel" to your cells in the form of glucose (a sugar molecule preferred by most cells). A steady blood glucose level is the responsibility of your liver as you hike. If you've eaten a decent breakfast, and plan to stop for lunch after a reasonable interval, your liver has no trouble delivering a steady stream of fuel to your contracting skeletal muscles, your brain, your heart, and all other parts of your body: in other words, maintaining your energy level. Sugars from your breakfast will be available in the bloodstream. Also, the liver depends upon stored sugar (glycogen), which it built up & saved for just this occasion from excess sugar in previous meals.

Notice the word "decent". A sugar donut and a cup of coffee as you drive to the trailhead? Sure, that'll work, but you're making your body work harder than it should to regulate your blood sugar within fairly tight limits. How about a bowl of oatmeal with a handful of walnuts and dried fruit instead? That breakfast provides "slow burn" fuel to keep you going until lunch, because the glucose is released from the food into your bloodstream over several hours, rather than in a burst right after you eat. Your liver doesn't have to scramble to regulate the amount of sugar entering your bloodstream by cutting up glycogen molecules into glucose.

Yo-yo spikes of blood sugar are harmful in the long run, because they stress out the pancreas and impede its ability to supply a hormone called insulin. Without insulin, the sugar in your blood can't get into your cells. The cells would be drowning in an ocean of sugar, calling out for sugar, thirsting for sugar....but not being able to take it in and use it for fuel. Eventually, major organ systems begin to lose function: eyes, kidneys, immune system...

To avoid long term trouble, avoid sugary nutrient-poor foods. If you need links to further information about which foods support a hiker's body, email me and I'd be happy to share those with you.

A few quick ideas for maintaining your energy level on your hike: make time for breakfast, even if that means getting up a half hour earlier. If you're one of those people who pride themselves on "never eating breakfast", try seeing things through the eyes of your pancreas or liver. Another tip: When you get strong hunger signals on the trail, stop within a few minutes and eat a snack. Frequent, small amounts of food are probably easier on your digestive system than one big intake of fatty or protein rich foods. Some folks carry a small bag of trail mix in a shirt pocket or accessible pack pocket, and munch while they hike. I recently discovered a fruit snack called Sharkies, and use them for this purpose. These snacks are gluten free, vegetarian, filled with minerals and electrolytes, and delightfully flavorful. Their shark shape is just an added bonus!

Maintaining energy level during a hike is important, but consider these tips for a great hike.