Skiing is not a sport that everyone can do. It requires intense physical activity, strength and endurance. When you consider the freezing cold temperatures at ski resorts, you should pay more attention to your nutrition.
Dietitian Emre Uzun has given some pieces of advice to return fit and healthy from your ski vacation. He says, "The glycogen storage of muscles and hydration are the key points of success in all physical activities including skiing."
Dehydration: First of all, you need to drink more fluids than your daily need as the body consumes more energy than ordinary days when you are on a ski vacation. If you don't drink enough fluids, you may have a headache, shortness of breath, muscle pain, loss of performance, or you may be thirsty or tired. Check whether you are thirsty or not. You may not recognize that you are thirsty in cold weather. A simple urine observation will help: If you produce a small amount of urine and it is a dark color, this means your body needs fluids.
Carbohydrate Consumption: During ski holidays and most often while skiing, glycogen stored in the body is used extensively to extract the energy in muscles. Foods containing carbohydrates help muscles to work, glycogen to be filled and the body to recover the energy it consumed. This is why mountaineers have plenty of snacks with plenty of calories in their packs. How many calories does a skier burn? Emre Uzun says, "A professional skier burns 6,000 calories a day, and his or her carbohydrate consumption can go up to 60 or 65 percent." Therefore, you ideally should consume carbohydrates two hours before going to ski and during the main meal after skiing. For example, grilled chicken, steak with whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, baked potatoes, soups, and whole grain bread are good options for skiing activities. After skiing, a banana, milk or three or four dried apricots can be consumed. Bananas are also a good magnesium source, which is effective in preventing muscle cramps.
Alcohol and Caffeine Consumption: Alcohol consumption increases dehydration and relaxes blood vessels. This both reduces body heat and causes loss of performance. Therefore, the amount of alcohol and how resistant you are to alcohol are very important. The best way is to not consume alcohol. However, you should pay attention to caffeinated beverages, which are preferred by skiers. They give endurance, strength and resistance, but they also have a diuretic effect which increases the body's loss of water.
Iron Levels Should Be Full: The human body is deficient without iron, and the need for iron is different in everyone. For example, men need 10 milligrams (mg) iron per day while women need 18 mg. Pregnant mothers need 27 mg, breastfeeding mothers need 18 mg and adolescents should get 15 mg. This amount may increase during your ski vacation but should not decrease. Iron deficiency is shown by fatigue, palpitations, impaired concentration and nervousness. It is best to get plenty of iron before going on a ski vacation. You can consume grilled meat, turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, oilseeds, green leafy plants and legumes. You need to take vitamin C to increase iron absorption.
