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By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor
As with any demanding physical activity, what you eat plays a big role in preparation for a day on the slopes. Skiers risk a range of forbidding bodily threats, including extreme cold, physical exhaustion and potential sickness. In addition to skiing skill and mental prowess, eating the right foods prior to hitting the hill is one of the most important things you can do to prepare your body.... Read full How To Article
meotch
published this on
May 19, 2009
i tell you what - i love to ski but as i've grown older and gotten more out of shape, it has become increasingly hard to stay on the mountain as long as i once could. in my older days, i've realized that i need the right fuel to keep my body going all day. to this end, i have started to eat specifically for skiing before,...
1) before: in the morning, and i hate mornings, i eat some kind of carbohydrate and some kind of protein. cereal, rice, bagel or donut for carbs. turkey or chicken sausage or an odwalla super protein drink for my protein.
2) during: if the skiing is good, then i will not come in for lunch. i get so few days on the mountain that i really want to spend as much time skiing as possible. that being said, ya gotta eat, right? so in my back pack i carry the tripple threat for energy and enjoyment of skiing: red bull, banana, and power bar.
now depending on the time of year you are skiing, the red bull will stay nice and cold, but if that is the case, then the power bar is generally so frozen and hard that it will almost break your teeth when you try to bite into it. here is a hint: take the power bar out of your backpack or outward facing jacket pocket a run or 2 before you're going to want to eat it and place it in an inside pocket close to where your body heat will heat it up and soften it. mmmmm. the warmed, soft power bar (i prefer apple-cinnamon) washed down with a refreshing red bull is quite delicious.
within 15 minutes of ingesting the red bull plus power bar combination, you should have a special bounce to your turns and a smile on your face and you shooooosh down the mountain with increased vigor.
when you are about an hour away from your last run, enjoy the banana you brought along. the potassium will help your system start the recovery process your muscles will need to go through after being worked hard all day.
3.) after: once you're off the mountain, you'll want to have some kind of nice protein to help fortify the muscles you've been using all day. after all, you are what you eat.
i also recommend another banana, several beers, and of course, a nice long hot tub session to sooth your muscles and get your body ready for another blue bell day back on the slopes.
to be able to pull off the long days of skiing, food is your fuel!
to be able to pull off the long days of skiing, food is your fuel!
apres ski should always include a hottub to help soak your sore muscles.
a beer or 2 or 3 is a great way to relax, and also to celebrate after an epic day of pow-pow.
chicken sausage is a delicious way to get your body some long-term protein to sustain you thru the first half of your ski
Bagels (or donuts) can get your morning started with some easy burning carbohydrate fuel.
bananas - one on the mountain, and one at night after skiing. the potassium will help your muscles recover from over use.
red bull is the secret weapon. it is a small enough can to carry easily in most pockets and gives you a great jolt of energy. your skiing will improve about 15 minutes after ingesting. :)
part of the triple threat of "on the mountain" foods, make sure to keep your powerbar nice and warm so you don't lose a tooth on a frozen one.
the chairlift is your best bet for finding some time to ingest any foods. be careful not to drop any trash (or your gloves, goggles, or poles - or worse yet, your keys or wallet out of an open backpack or wallet!)
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