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Nutrition can be considered one of the key ingredients in any hiking experience and it is no different on Kilimanjaro. Despite this fact, many people ignore this basic truth each year and as a result, develop related problems on the mountain. With the prolonged exposure to cold, maintained exercise and general high altitude physical strain on the body, a poor diet might result in poor digestion, reduced energy levels and possibly even the onset of Hypoglycemia.
These problems may sound harmless, but under extreme conditions and at high altitude, they can rapidly develop into more severe emergencies requiring rescue. We do not take chances with diet and nutritional preparation and as a result have teamed up with PVM, world renowned manufacturers of energy supplements for athletes and high impact activities.
They have prepared an outline of how to approach nutrition on the mountain.
ENERGY DYNAMICS
A D I V I S I O N O F P V M
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT WITH TRIBE SAFARI
NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR KILIMANJARO
The importance of adequate nutrition on an expedition such as Kilimanjaro cannot be stressed enough. Adequate nutrition before and during the event may determine whether you make it to the top or not. ENERGY DYNAMICS would like to assist you in collaboration with Tribe Safari, making the correct choices, reaching your nutritional goals and giving you the energy you need to reach the top AND enjoy every minute of it!
PREPARING FOR KILIMANJARO -Preparation for the Kilimanjaro expedition entails:
Training to optimise or increase fitness levels Psychological preparation Practical – itinerary, gear, medication etc. Nutritional preparation including Increasing energy levels Optimising the muscle system Preventing injuries Boosting the immune system Testing energy products and making sure your body is accustomed to it
Nutritional preparation should start at least one month before the expedition.
Nutritional strategies in preparation for Kilimanjaro:
ENERGY BALANCE
Energy Balance is reached when: Energy output (exercise) = energy input (food intake). If you do not eat enough to sustain your output, energy is derived from breaking down muscle. This process makes your muscles weak and more susceptible to injuries. Consume enough energy to sustain your training programme and keep your body in an optimum condition. Energy balance is better reached when eating at regular intervals, i.e. three meals and snacks between meals, than eating once or twice daily.
BODY BUILDING
Proteins are the building blocks of the body, i.e. muscle, blood, bone, skin etc. Protein should be increased during the preparation period for the following important reasons: Optimise or increase muscle in combination with the training programme Efficient recovery after training and prevention of injuries Boost the immune system and prevent various infections and colds / flu Together with carbohydrates, protein helps to moderate insulin and control blood sugar levels better, thus more stable blood sugar levels.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Your preparation eating plan should include all the essential vitamins and minerals Vitamins are mainly involved in the energy process and immune system maintenance Minerals play an important role in overall health, muscle contraction and various reactions of metabolism
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION
SELENIUM 100 microgram (m g) per day. VITAMIN E 500 International Units (I.U.) per day. RECOMMENDED PRODUCT: Vita Force (the contents of the capsule should be translucent and light-coloured, otherwise it has already been oxidised) VITAMIN C 500 milligram (mg) per day. May be increased to 1000mg during times of illness. RECOMMENDED PRODUCT: Ascorbic Acid ZINC 20mg per day. May be increased to 40mg as described for VitaminC. RECOMMENDED PRODUCT: Vital / Weetol “Zinc Plus C”
GUIDELINES TO CONSUME ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS :
Eat a yellow fruit every day (peach, mango, papaya) Eat a yellow vegetable every day (carrots, pumpkin) Eat a green vegetable every day (spinach, broccoli, green beans, cabbage) Eat two to three fresh fruit every day Eat a variety of food types, the more colourful your plate, the higher the vitamin and mineral content Unrefined products have a higher vitamin and mineral content than refined foods, replace white bread for brown or whole wheat bread If possible eat fruit and vegetable with the skin - the skin contains plenty of vitamins and minerals. Rather boil vegetables with the skin as the skin prevents loss of vitamins and minerals into the water. Rather eat raw fruit and vegetables than cooked ones.
NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES DURING THE EVENT
POSSIBLE NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES
Dehydration The ability to sustain physical activity requires replacement of fluid losses to prevent dehydration and hyperthermia. Fluid ingestion during prolonged exercise should firstly supply sufficient water to replace losses incurred by excessive sweating, and secondly provide a energy source to supplement the body’s limited stores. A number of factors determine effective water absorption, including carbohydrate content, sodium content and total osmolality of the drink. Extensive research shows that water is absorbed more efficiently from a sportsdrink with the correct osmolality and carbohydrate concentration than from clean water. It is therefore important to use a scientifically formulated sports drink such as OCTANE rather than plain water - not only for its effective water absorption but also for its energy contribution.
Osmolality is a measure of the number of particles of solute in a solution per mass of solvent, i.e. the particles in the solution.
Water absorption is achieved by osmotic gradients; the water is free to move in either direction across the intestinal wall. Solutions containing a high concentration of particles (hypertonic) stimulate water secretion into the gastro-intestinal tract, which accentuates dehydration. Hypotonic and isotonic solutions are therefore preferred as they stimulate water absorption into the blood and thus into the body cells.
Guidelines to prevent dehydration:
Use an isotonic or hypotonic OCTANE solution, i.e. 50g (3 slightly heaped scoops) in 500ml water OR 600ml water for a hypotonic solution. For the 75g sachets that is 750ml water for isotonic and 900ml water for hypotonic solution Before you start hiking: try to consume at least 500ml OCTANE - take a few sips every 15-20 minutes while packing up etc. During hiking and climbing: 500-900ml OCTANE per hour of hiking / climbing. Drink at intervals of 20-30 minutes – STOP every 30 minutes and take 4-6 sips (± 200ml) OCTANE. Drink even if you are not thirsty; the first sign of dehydration is absence of thirst. Encourage your team mates to drink up Within 10 minutes after the day’s hiking / climbing: 500ml OCTANE - this intake helps to replace excessive fluid losses, restore glycogen (carbohydrate) stores and aids in recovery. Be careful not to overhydrate, especially if the weather is cool. Drink according to your sweat loss. This is different in every person and should be determined before going on the expedition. Determine your sweat rate by weighing yourself before and after training (do not consume any fluid during this training session); each kilogram lost is roughly equal to a litre of fluid that must be replaced. Thirst is not a good indicator of how much fluid you need; the appearance of urine is a better indicator: Why not only water? Drinking plain water can result in a rapid fall in plasma sodium concentration, that can reduce the feeling of thirst and stimulate urine output, both of which delay rehydration or accentuate dehydration. Adding the electrolytes sodium potassium, and chloride (as found in OCTANE) lowers the amount of urine produced and restores the thirst sensors, thus helping to restore the fluid balance – these electrolytes are actively involved in the absorption process of water into the blood stream, without them the water will eventually stay in the stomach or intestine.Secondly, sports drinks contain energy, thus it is also FUEL for the brain.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) One of the major causes of fatigue during prolonged exercise is the depletion of energy stores, especially muscle glycogen (carbohydrate store).
Glucose is the main energy source for brain and muscle whereas fat is the main energy source for the heart muscle. The heart is the most important muscle during exercise as it is responsible for pumping blood to muscle and supplying the skeletal muscle with nutrients and oxygen.
Symptoms of low blood sugar include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation
Guidelines to prevent low blood sugar:
Regular intake of balanced meals and snacks, i.e. carbohydrate, protein and fat at each meal - High carbohydrate meals stimulate insulin which may lead to a low blood sugar soon after the intake of the meal The presence of protein and fat slows down the digestion process and stomach emptying thus resulting in a gradual rise and fall of blood sugar over a longer period after the meal All meals and snacks should include a small protein portion, i.e. cheese, egg, milk, yoghurt, fish, meat, chicken etc.
SAMPLE MEAL PLAN IN PREPARATION FOR KILIMANJARO
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