High country fuel: Eating right for a day of hiking

By Jenn Fields For the Daily Camera
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Photo's added by Eli Helmuth

Even if you spend most of your summer hiking above 10,000 feet, you might want to think twice -- or consult your cardiologist -- before you adopt the alpine breakfast of Estes Park-based mountain guide Eli Helmuth.

"I like the Coffee Heath Bar Crunch," Helmuth says as he digs around in his freezer for a refresher on his favorite flavors of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "I kinda got into Chubby Hubby, so now I actually eat it a fair bit. I've always been a big Chunky Monkey fan; Cherry Garcia is a favorite. Oh, the Dublin Mudslide goes down pretty good, too."

Helmuth, an internationally certified rock, alpine and ski guide, says he knows that no doctor will endorse his high-fat breakfast, which is reserved solely for long, high-exertion (and thus high calorie-burning) days at altitude. And he knows that all of the research on exercise at altitude points to eating carbs. But for him, the proof is in the pudding. Or rather, the Chunky Monkey.

"With carbs, if I didn't eat a bar every 45 minutes, I'd crash," he says. "But the Ben & Jerry's breakfast, boom -- three hours. It really changes the equation. I don't have to carry as much; the fat calories go further."

However, most dietitians agree that a carb-heavy formula, coupled with some fat and protein, is the best way to meet your energy needs for summer adventures in the high country.

"Carbs are the quickest, most easily digestible and efficient source of energy to supply your body, which is why it's recommended you get 60 to 65 percent of your calories from carb-containing foods while performing any sports at high altitude," says Dina Griffin, a registered dietitian with Boulder Exercise & Nutrition Services. Griffin also gives nutrition lectures for a Colorado Mountain Club and does a lot of hiking in the high country herself.

"When you're on the trail, it's best to have a mix of complex and simple carbs available, along with items that contain protein and fat," Griffin says. Complex carbs with protein will give you sustained, longer-burning energy, she said, which is why old standbys like trail mix and peanut butter and jelly on whole-grain bread work well. (Griffin's fave trail snack: Justin's peanut butter and honey wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla.) For a quick fix of simple carbs, she recommends dried fruit, hard candy or fig cookies.

50-20-20

"Your carbohydrate needs go up when you're at altitude -- you can bonk a lot easier," says Megan Forbes, of Boulder's Forbes Nutritional Consulting.

However, if you're hiking rather than running at altitude, your heart rate  is a little lower, which can mean your exertion level will be in the fat-burning zone. "So you'll need more carbohydrates and more fats."

Nutritional needs are individual, though, so you have to find what works best for you, she says. Fats can help you last longer for a big day out, like a fourteener hike. But she's found that a lot of hikers are eating too much fat via their favorite energy bars.

Forbes suggests shooting for a nutritional ratio of 60 percent carbs, 20 percent protein and 20 percent fat to perform well in the high-country. She adds that your nutritional preparation starts with dinner.

"Breakfast and the night before are the most important things," says Forbes. "You can set up your body so it's full of glycogens so you're ready to go."

The night before, Forbes suggests having a little more carbohydrate and some protein -- like whole grain pasta with chicken and olive oil.

"The morning of, you want to get up and have a really solid breakfast," says Forbes, like breakfast burritos or oatmeal with walnuts, again aiming for that 60-20-20 ratio. "For hiking, you're not going at high intensity, so a lot of people can tolerate a bigger breakfast."

Paying attention to your glycogen stores is important because it's a limiting factor for fatigue, says Eileen Faughey, of Boulder's Nutrition Connections.

Here's how it works, according to Faughey: "Carbs get stored in the muscles in the form of glycogen. That's a major source of your energy. And there's really only enough of that stored to last about 2 to 4 hours, depending on intensity, and then you need to start getting sugar back into the blood. That's why you focus on carbs, but you need proteins in the first hour after exercise to replenish the stores."

That's especially good to keep in mind if you're hiking again the next day.

Eat, drink, hike

Helmuth adopted his diet after consulting with a couple of clients who were nutritionists not long after he moved to Estes Park, 10 years ago. They suggested he try eating more fats to prevent being hungry every 45 minutes. Since it staved his hunger right away, he embraced it. He says hasn't gained a pound since.

(Full disclosure: I learned about Helmuth's breakfast routine when he guided me on a winter climb in Rocky Mountain National Park. I complained that my whole-wheat bagel and almond butter breakfast left me hungry an hour later; he replied, that's why I start the day with either a half a pint of Ben & Jerry's or whole milk yogurt. Later, for lunch, he broke out a small Tupperware of the previous night's pasta leftovers and a big block of chocolate.)

While guiding trips over the years on Ecuador's volcanoes and Denali, Helmuth has watched once-healthy clients lose 25 pounds, so it's no surprise that he doesn't fret over eating ice cream. Research on altitude and physiology shows that many people lose their appetites at altitude, despite burning thousands of calories per day.

Robert Mazzeo, an associate professor of integrative physiology at CU-Boulder who has performed studies on visitors to Pikes Peak from sea level, says the appetite loss is a serious problem.

"In our first week at Pikes Peak, we practically have to force feed people" Mazzeo says. "And there's a variety of reasons for that. But it's important to maintain your energy."

Many people also have difficulty digesting protein and fat at altitude. Forbes says sometimes those digestion and lack-of-appetite problems are a result of an electrolyte imbalance or dehydration.

"You might want to take an electrolyte supplement so it's in your stores -- a lot of times it's a potassium or magnesium deficiency," she says.

Mazzeo and the dietitians also say that maintaining hydration and electrolytes is not just important for enhancing your performance at altitude--it's essential for avoiding altitude illnesses like Acute Mountain Sickness.

"Stay hydrated -- that's first and foremost," says Mazzeo.

Faughey says getting enough fluids is sometimes overlooked cause of fatigue. "It's particularly important at altitude where the air is dryer. And it's one of the main reasons why people get headaches."

Eli Adds:  Although I do partake in many pints of ice cream (often Haagen Daaz or Starbucks Coffee flavors) during peak alpine season, I do consume lots of protein in the form of steaks, fish, and any other quality carne that I can get hold of- favorites are chicken shawarma's and pork burrito's with a whole avacado.  Cheese has become a more important part of my diet as well, and since spending more time in France, I have been known to carry and eat a pound of brie in a day while alpine climbing, just biting off chunks as I go and keeping it wrapped up in a handy pocket.  

In terms of fluid intake; I consume typically 3 liters on a 12hr. day above 12k in RMNP with a liter before and after.  At least two of these liters will contain a solution of electrolytes.  My favorite is EmergenC,  and I usually consume two packets a day while in the hills as the electroytes help in numerous aspects, one of which is increasing absorption of the water, thus increasing the effectiveness of each ml. consumed.