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Health and Fitness Tips

Nutrition and Training Key to Enjoying Skiing

With Winter in full swing, many of you are excited to get back on the slopes. I want to talk about the nutrition needed when you hit the slopes as well as nordic skiing.

What kind of skier are you? If you're a downhill skier, you use anaerobic sources of energy and need to eat and train with that in mind. If you're a nordic skier, your diet and training should be focused on building up your aerobic reserves. A good supply of carbohydrates, balanced with a low percentage of fats and moderate protein supply the type of energy you need as well as nutrition for recovery, growth, and development.

If you ski a great deal, you'll need to combine your training programs, and then concentrate on one or the other, as your ski day(s) near. Regardless of which event you specialize in, your training, should include an appropriate balance of strength training, anaerobic or aerobic endurance, and good nutrition.

There are three unique characteristics of skiing, and other snow sports, that place tough physical demands on the body. One is slippery footing or tracks. Another is the tremendous, often treacherous, speeds attained in these sports.

These two unique aspects of skiing add up to one essential training consideration, you need strong legs, and a strong midsection to match. To excel in skiing, you need super leg strength in every range of motion. You also need superior levels of muscular endurance, agility, and dynamic balance, all which are enhanced by greater leg strength.

The third unique aspect of skiing is that it takes place at a high altitude. Despite the fact that Nordic skiing and Alpine skiing require different types of training and nutrition, they both take place in the mountains. Breathing the rarefied air at these altitudes taxes your cardiovascular system.

You'll also need excellent upper body body strength endurance. Skiing requires total body control and stamina, and that involves a critical interplay between what's happening in your lower body with how your upper body reacts.

The first step toward these conditioning ends is to identify specific exercises for the type of skiing you are doing. Determine what is required of your body as a whole, as well as each major muscle. Here are a few pointers on nutrition for the endurance needed to ski.

* The sources of energy that you use during aerobic exercise depends in the duration and intensity of your activity. For instance, with one to two hours of endurance exercise the glycogen content of your muscles and liver can be depleted. At this time, you might experience what is known as "hitting the wall," a condition sparked by very low blood sugar levels.

* Although somewhat easy to deplete your carbohydrate stores, it is quite impossible to deplete your fat stores. But fat cannot be used as energy unless some carbohydrates are present in your muscle cells and liver. Therefore, it is not likely that an endurance athlete can rely on fat for energy when glycogen stores are completely drained.

* Regularly train for endurance by participating in long-term aerobic activity, you will be capable of storing two-times the amount of glycogen as an inactive person.

* Eat five meals a day. This sustains your blood sugar levels at an even level for longer periods.

* Do not fat-load. Fat-loading was thought to be a benefit to endurance exercise in order to promote fat-based energy consumption.

* Do not consume carbohydrates one or two hours before endurance exercise. The ingestion of carbohydrates reduce your chances of mobilization and the use of fatty acids for energy.

* Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise. This will protect you from dehydration. Chilled fluids absorb faster. To protect against deficiencies in any nutrients, I suggest a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.

Skiing is a wonderful fun sport that can be enjoyed no matter what level skier you are. Training to protect yourself from exhaustion and injury is important. A balanced diet is also the mainstay for fun in the snow.

Rick Gusler is a certified personal trainer and diet nutritionist who serves his clients through Gusler Body Sculpting Fitness Center in central Denver. To schedule a free consultation, or to learn more about the Gusler method of body sculpting, spin yoga, or Rick's Boot Camp, please contact him at 303.860.7131 or online at www.guslerbodysculpting.com.

Gusler Body Sculpting Fitness Center, LLC
459 Acoma Street · Denver, Colorado 80204 · 303-860-7131
Hours: Monday-Friday: 6am-8pm · Saturday: Closed · Sunday: Closed

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