Nutrition for a Day on the Slopes

Breakfast is the most important meal of your ski day.

I suggest you look at the pancakes and syrup or the French toast. A few slices of bread and fruit followed with some coffee and orange juice will set you up nicely. The orange juice has a high glycemic index (high in available glucose) and will be readily and quickly available. The pancakes and syrup are rich in carbohydrates and sugar providing you with a concentrated muscle energy reserve. Coffee is also useful, as the caffeine will also help mobilize your fat for more efficient usage.

Once you're on the slopes you should prepare two things: a snack and some water or other fluid. A small snack of chocolate or dried fruit is easy to carry and should be consumed approximately every 90 minutes. This is really important for children as they are more susceptible to fatigue and hypothermia. The water is vitally important as we use considerable amounts of body water in the cold despite popular belief. The dry cold air costs much in fluid, as we must saturate the air we breathe. We also lose water through the sweat from muscle contraction. I recommend about 6-8 ounces of water every 30-45 minutes. This amounts to about one cup. Do not eat snow as it is often dirty and there is a high energy cost associated with converting water from a frozen to liquid state.

Breakfast Foods

Snacks:

Your lunchtime meal should be palatable and light. The gap following lunch and your return to the slopes is often shorter than that following breakfast so you will feel uncomfortable eating too much. I like the soup and bread. It is warm and it has a high carbohydrate content. Again in the afternoon continue to snack and rehydrate regularly.

Lunch: Light

Dinner doesn't have to be as complex in carbohydrates as breakfast and lunch although the carbohydrates are still important. I recommend a quality source of protein: chicken, fish or meat, along with healthy servings of starch (potatoes and vegetables). Go light on the alcohol! The alcohol has a high metabolic requirement for water that will cause you to be dehydrated. Moderation is the key.

Dinner Foods:

And lastly, here are a list of Dos and Don’ts for an enjoyable ski day.
Do's:

• Eat more food than you normally would
• Snack often
• Drink more water than you normally would
• Eat hot food and drinks when possible

Don'ts:

• Use alcohol to warm you up
• Eat snow or ice (unless necessary)
• Overeat during rest periods

Article by Declan AJ Connolly
Assoc. Professor, UVM
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