Sports nutrition and hydration

Italiano

Practicing sports, running or even just walking consumes much more calories and water than a basal condition (rest) or a sedentary activity. During a one-day mountain hike, you can consume four times more calories and lose up to 1 liter of water per hour on the hottest days! Sweating has the function of thermoregulation, cooling the body from the heat produced by the muscle mass during activity. The main energy during the effort of walking, which is a medium to long duration aerobic type of exercise, comes from carbohydrates. For the body to remain in good working order, it is necessary to drink to replenish the consumption of liquids, take in the mineral salts that are lost, and maintain an adequate glucose level. The balance of the integration is generally negative and the recovery process must continue in the following hours and days.

Hydration

Our body is made up of more than half of water. 75% of muscles and organs are made up of water, 10% of adipose tissue, 3% of bones are water. There is water in the cells and they are surrounded by water.

Fluids are lost through diuresis, with sweat, breathing, perspiration and faeces. A loss of water produces dehydration, the first symptom of which is thirst. If we continue not to drink, the color of the urine becomes darker, and there is dryness of the throat. The loss of 1-2% of body fluids can lead to a decrease in physical performance, dizziness and headache in an individual. If dehydration is more important, fatigue, tiredness, irritability, nausea, decreased physical strength and appetite can occur. Cramps in the limbs may appear due to the lack of water, salts and sugars, in extreme cases may lead to collapse.

To keep the water balance balanced, you need to drink to cool the body. Excess heat depends on the intensity of the effort, the temperature and humidity of the environment, and is dispersed more with breathable clothing. To quench your thirst, you generally drink a liquid with a good taste, which does not cause gastrointestinal discomfort, not carbonated, without caffeine and alcohol, and not that promoted as energy drink, with a small amount of sodium and electrolytes.[^] One proof that when we sweat we emit sodium chloride (table salt) is the taste of the skin. During a sporting activity you drink water, but tea with or without sugar, classic isotonic drinks or diluted fruit juice are also fine. Mineral salts are inorganic materials (free of carbon) which play a fundamental role in the functioning of living beings; they are not produced by the body and can only be taken from the outside (science calls them essential). To be quickly absorbed, the water must be moderately chilled (about 10°), and contain a minimum quantity of carbohydrates (5-8%).

How much should you drink during the excursion? Mainly you have to drink regularly because the loss is constant, and before you feel thirsty, it is generally sufficient to drink a certain amount (200-250 ml) every quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. A good idea is to start the excursion with an optimal water balance, drinking more than normal in the hours before departure and up to half a liter 15-30 minutes before.

Diet

Carbohydrates are the body's main fuel. Carbohydrates, also called carbohydrates (from the Greek "glucos" = sweet) are substances formed by carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with a hydrogen-oxygen ratio 2: 1 (as in water), empirical formula C_m(H₂O)_n[^] (with m equal or different from n, for simplicity I consider them equal). Carbohydrates are called saccharides, monosaccharides (n=1), disaccharides (n=2), oligosaccharides (n between the values 2 and 9), polysaccharides (n>=10). Monosaccharides are glucose, fructose, and galactose; disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, maltose. Oligosaccharides are maltodextrins. Monosaccharides and oligosaccharides are simple sugars, while polysaccharides are complex sugars. Polysaccharides are starch, fiber, glycogen.

During intense physical activity, our body almost exclusively uses glucose to meet the increased energy demand, as it is absorbed quickly, while fructose is absorbed more slowly. Oligosaccharide molecules take longer to be available as energy in the form of glucose because they have to be digested by the stomach. Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which are an energy reserve for an even longer time, stored in the liver and muscle tissue as glycogen. For this reason, in long-lasting activities, athletes eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates three to four hours before the competition.

Protein is an important part of a training diet and plays a key role in post-exercise recovery and repair. Protein needs are generally met by following a high-carbohydrate diet, because many foods, especially cereal-based foods, are a combination of carbohydrate and protein.[^]

Conclusion

Sports nutrition practices improve sports performance and should be part of the hiker's knowledge base, as useful and necessary as physical preparation and excursion preparation.

In the morning of a medium or long duration excursion it is good to have a breakfast rich in sugar, milk, juice or yogurt, accompanied by cereals, biscuits, bread with jam, which are the foods that we find on the prepared table of a mountain refuge.
During the hike, you drink water at regular intervals to prevent dehydration. It is eaten to maintain a sufficient glucose level that the metabolism transforms into energy, easily digestible foods that contain simple sugars, apples, figs, raisins, dehydrated fruit, chocolate, dry biscuits, ham sandwich or with jam or bars to replace them. If the walk takes place in the afternoon, you certainly don't go after a binge at lunch, nor after drinking alcohol.

Without studying or consulting on nutrition and hydration, I went to the mountains for years, thinking about how much to drink rather than following a diet for athletes, as sugars in my pocket only goleador candies flavored with coca-cola and Lupo Alberto at a cost of 10 euro cents each. I learned that in the evening after the excursion I am really hungry (one day without eating!) and with the desire for my favorite dish, pasta with tomato sauce. The hunger continues into the following day. By walking regularly it is evident that you will eventually also burn your reserves, fat and protein, with a decrease in excess weight, and it means being in shape. My real concern is running out of water and even exceeds the choice of shoes, don't forget cap and sunscreen.

On the Grignone on the Pasturo side in Valsassina you will no longer be able to stock up on water beyond the level of the Pialeral. I traveled the High Crossing of the Grigne almost always on the hottest days of the year, escaping from Milan with expected temperatures of 33-34 °C. The route is challenging and long even when you are trained, and a liter and a half of water in your backpack is not enough; the fatigue and thirst in the last stretch, whether it was in sight of the Brioschi Refuge or the descent to Piani di Resinelli, I still remember today that I write.

References

1. "Fluids and Hydration". Usada. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
2. "Carbohydrate". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
3. "Sporting performance and food". Better Health Channel. Retrieved 1 April 2022.