Latest posts for the topic "Energy on the slopes"

Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 15:10:22 GMT

I find that i am completely done by mid afternoon on the slopes and this frustrates me. Now I am not that fit, but was wondering if there is anything I should take to allow me last a bit longer before heading home? Chocolate springs to mind, but does it really make a difference?
Ant advice appreciated.
Thanks

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 15:27:21 GMT

I guess it really boils down to whether you are actually physically knackered due to fitness or knackered due to lack of food to burn for energy.

If the first, I don't think whatever you eat is going to make a difference. However, if the second, then there are several things you can try. Try eating pasta at lunch, as it tends to have a slow release of it's energy during digestion (hence it is eaten by long distance runners et al), or consider taking specialised products. There is a huge market for energy foods, from the very quick release to the longer lasting stuff. Cyclists are a classic case for little gel packs, which they squeeze down on a regular basis. You could look into what they are eating. Finally, there is the old classic fallback.. the Kendal Mint Cake :twisted:

Chocolate probably tastes better and may give you a small boost, but nothing compared to modern specifically designed products. If you want chocolate for skiing, I like the Ritter bars, because they fit nicely in your pocket, and once abroad there is a massive range of flavours.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 18:49:34 GMT

Far que is right, about the pasta but if your eating it for lunch you will find this works against you. Your best eating this on an evening as it stores as energy for the following day, I'm a cyclist and before any big event it's best to carb load a few days in advance and then you eat slightly less as your doing the exercise.

It's a complex science but basically eat pasta on an evening to replenish the fuel you have burnt during the day. Eat slow release breakfast such as porridge, bananna or whole weat toast etc. at lunch if your eating any carb then try to minimise it and try to eat whole wheat as white bread pasta will give you a boost to start but then make you feel tired as it stores.

Power bars would be better than chocolate, and energy gels such as power bar are good but only give you a quick hit. You can get similar effects from sweets, jelly babies, skittles all easy to eat and store in pockets.

Best bet is eat small and often, And stay clear of alcohol.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:10:19 GMT

crispyapplepie wrote:Eat slow release breakfast such as porridge, bananna or whole weat toast etc.

This +100 - a good breakfast is key to skiing all day.

crispyapplepie wrote:And stay clear of alcohol.

And this. Keeping hydrated is crucial; skiing can be very deceptive in that you don't really notice how much you perspire during the day because you're cool. Leave the hip flask at home or fill it with water if you care about your skiing! 8)

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:12:27 GMT

Tartiflette at lunch not advisable then??

I did it a couple of years ago, certainly sat in my stomach giving nice low ballast!!

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:16:37 GMT

Well i took a few multi packs of Mars/Snickers to eat on the slopes.....
Won't be doing that, came back weighing more than when i left.

Ditto to Admins comments re breakfast.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:18:15 GMT

Good brekkie, chocolate in my bag to snack on, baguette for lunch, good meal in the evening. Keeping your blood sugar level constant is the way to avoid peaks and roughs of energy.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 22:48:24 GMT

This strikes me as a bit odd, Tspill. Assuming that you are not in your 70s, or a beginner, most people of average fitness should be able to get through a days skiing without being unduly affected. Yes sure, the legs are a bit tired, but there should be no effect of "hitting the wall".

I have suffered this, in 50 mile fell races, or marathons where the conditions have been hot, but would not come close to it in a days skiing.

Have you considered this might be a medical condition? Perhaps a diabetes type condition? Worth considering. Away from skiing, do you get tired in other sports?

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:03:09 GMT

Hi Tspill,
I am reasonably fit but I can't ski for more than about 5 hours per day, broken into two 2 1/2 hour sessions with a long lunch break in the middle. It's not just the physical activity - I get mentally tired as well with the concentration involved in learning new tasks during my ski lessons, constantly adjusting my balance, trying to remember what the instructor said, and studying the landscape and working out where to turn etc.

So, if you started early, at say 9 O'clock, and only had a one hour lunch break, at say 12 O'clock, then I think it would be perfectly normal to be tired by, say, 3 O'clock.

But I do agree that a good breakfast, a sensible lunch, and drinking plenty of water is very important.

It's okay for Dave Mac to say it's not normal to get tired mid-afternoon, but that's because he keeps himself super fit all year round :D

Ally

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:41:28 GMT

Got to say I agree with dave though... I hadnt considered health as any issue, maybe go and have blood tests to be sure....

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:16:50 GMT

I'm not fit and I normally get through till 16.30 ...... If I start to feel knackered just stop for a coffee
and cake and off you go again 8)

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:31:57 GMT

I think maybe it depends on the sort of ski-ing you're doing, as well as how fit/healthy you are.

I mean, I'm usually in a lesson pushing myself to keep up with the group/not get lost/not look like a total idiot etc. or else I'm ski-ing with my younger daughter who goes like a rocket and having to put up with her slagging me off for ski-ing too slowly.

Probably if I was allowed to ski at my own pace I could ski all day with a few breaks for hot chocolate and lunch etc.

Like, for example, the instructor told us to ski down in short tight turns and after I'd done what I thought wasn't a bad job he asked me to tighten them up even more and do it again and I went smash and lost a ski, which is pretty exhausting. I have noticed that instructors always try to push you out of your comfort zone.

Another woman who was in my morning ski lesson last week confessed that she has to spend the rest of the day in bed resting after our lesson!! :lol:

And yet another woman was dragged practically screaming out of a lower class into ours (although she was a better skier than me) but by the next day she'd managed to sneak back into the lower one.

Ally

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:46:37 GMT

For info I am generally skiing with a group who are better skiers than me so I try to keep up when my technique isn't really up to it. I improved well with them last year. But it still takes me more effort to keep up.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:51:48 GMT

Theres a difference between keeping up and "hitting the wall"

I am hardly super fit, far from it, but I never get tired enough to feel I need to stop or slow down, and we're out first lift in the morning, and ski off after last lift has shut at night usually.

Breakfast - v important. Eat a lot, and have porridge if you can. Drink lots before you go out as well.

Take water with you, half a litre in a backpack every day. And a couple of small choccy bars, Mars or Twix usually.

Stop for a coffee at least twice; once in the morning, once in the afternoon.

Have a decent lunch, early. We stop before the big rush when ski schools come in, roughly around 12. That way you eat early for afternoon skiing, and have the quiet slopes to yourselves whilst the numpties come off )

Eat a hearty meal at night, and keep hydrated as well.

And dont forget to have at least 4 beers straight after skiing, of course.

If you're still tired all the time, maybe as dave suggests you have a medical condition.

Re:Energy on the slopes

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 19:00:36 GMT

tspill wrote:For info I am generally skiing with a group who are better skiers than me so I try to keep up when my technique isn't really up to it. I improved well with them last year. But it still takes me more effort to keep up.

If you're struggling to keep up with your friends I'm not at all surprised you're tired by mid-afternoon! Maybe you need to take some extra lessons?

Top tip from my instructor last week - he reckons the reason I get tired and ski more slowly than my daughter is because I'm ski-ing on two skis - apparently I should only be using one at a time so that I can rest my other leg :lol:

Ally