In this episode of Finding Elevation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Dent, a dietitian specializing in sports nutrition for mountain athletes. With over 20 years of experience, Rebecca has worked with hundreds of climbers and ultra-endurance runners, helping them optimize their nutrition for better performance.
Fueling for Mountain Performance
Rebecca emphasizes that a common mistake athletes make is not planning or practicing their nutrition strategy before heading into the mountains. Whether you're summiting a peak or running an ultra-endurance race, proper fueling is crucial. Athletes often think, "I’ll just eat whatever I bring," but without a clear strategy, energy levels can plummet, leading to bonking—a condition where glycogen stores are depleted, causing extreme fatigue.
Key Tip: Plan your nutrition per hour of moving time. Whether it’s real food or sports products, ensure you’re consuming 200-400 calories of carbohydrates every hour to maintain energy levels.
The Importance of Hydration
Rebecca explains that many athletes underestimate the importance of hydration, starting their training or climbs already dehydrated. She stresses that starting your day well-hydrated can significantly affect your performance. Even slight dehydration increases heart rate and perceived effort, making physical tasks feel much harder.
Pro Tip: Calculate your daily hydration needs by multiplying your body weight in kilograms by 35 milliliters. Make sure to hydrate consistently, not just when you feel thirsty.
Planning for High Altitude
When it comes to fueling at high altitudes, Rebecca points out that the digestive system slows down, making it harder to digest protein. Carbohydrates become the preferred fuel source at altitude. She suggests practicing your nutrition plan during training so that when it’s time to climb, your body is used to eating on the go.
Strategy: Create a detailed nutrition plan that includes specific foods and hydration strategies for each day of your mountain adventure. This will reduce decision-making and ensure you’re fueling consistently.
Recovery Nutrition
According to Rebecca, recovery starts immediately after you finish a training session or summit. Consuming a recovery shake that includes carbohydrates, protein, and fluids helps restore energy levels and promotes muscle repair.
Recovery Tip: Use products like Tailwind Recovery or a simple shake with milk and a banana to kickstart the recovery process after a long day in the mountains.
Want to dive deeper into Rebecca’s nutrition insights? Listen to the full episode of Finding Elevation with Rebecca Dent here and learn how to elevate your performance through optimized nutrition.