When you have a ski vacation or ski weekend, do you ever feel that the zip is gone from your turns or you have to cut the second or third day short because you’re too fatigued?
If you have a few weeks to get ready for a ski season, I always recommend starting a fitness program. We have an eight week ski program that focuses on strength and power to not only transform your skiing but makes every turn easier.
But even if your ski vacation starts tomorrow, there is one simple fix that you can do that will save your multi-day ski trip and help you get the most out of your lift passes:
Eat and hydrate while you’re skiing.
The truth is, most skiers do not eat or drink enough when they're out on the hill. Beyond that, skiers undereat the one most important nutrient needed for back-to-back ski days…protein.
When you are active, your body is burning fat, carbohydrates and protein to fuel your day. Protein is usually the main macronutrient that is under-consumed during intense activity days.
Protein is essential for rebuilding muscles and bones after a long day. And it's also an integral part of how blood is transporting oxygen to your muscles and how enzymes are made.
“While the habit of not eating enough while skiing won't catch up to you if you're only skiing for one day, it will affect you if you have back-to-back ski days.”
When I was training for ski racing, we would get lots of laps on the t-bar at a pretty high elevation. I wore a heart rate monitor one day and a watch that took a guesstimate at the number of calories I was burning. I found I was burning 4,000 calories before 2 p.m. on those training days!
With all those calories getting burned on ski days, the smells wafting from the lodge might tempt you to buy lunch or a snack. Not only is lodge food overpriced, it also under-delivers on protein.
The standard recommendation is to consume 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
If you're not sure how much you're getting, try downloading an app that will track your macronutrient intake. Do a day when you're on the snow and off, then take a look at how much food you're actually eating and what macronutrients you're tending to consume.
How to fuel your body on the hill?
When I'm doing big days on the ski hill or in the backcountry, I like to eat my carbohydrates and protein while I'm active, and most of my fats at the beginning and end of the day. This is making sure that your body has the nutrients it needs when you need them.
The best way to get protein and carbohydrates while you're skiing is to have some pocket snacks. And if you're skiing somewhere cold, it is incredibly important to put these snacks in an inside pocket so they don't freeze.
A great time to get a few bites in before the next run is while you're on the lift or at the bottom of a run. You can focus on having fun and doing laps without stopping to have a meal.
You could also put a soft water bottle or water flask into your jacket as well to make sure that you're staying hydrated (and always bring a little extra to share).
I hope you have a WILDR week!