Walk to work week is between the 14th-18th May and the whole of May is a national walking month. What better time too, the weather gets warmer and 'possibly' sunnier, why not take advantage of this by going on a walk through the countryside. For the dedicated hiker/backpacker or family that has a planned an outdoor venture, I have come up with some nutritional tips to keep you in good health and ready for any physical challenge!
How to go that extra mile
There is a misconception that a big breakfast is a great start to an activity packed day. However, this is not recommended as big meals will make you sleepy and lethargic. Avoid this by keeping snacks in your bag, which you can to graze on throughout the day. Dry foods such as nuts and seeds balance your blood sugar levels, are easy to carry, and importantly won’t make a mess if they get squashed!
During prolonged exercise your muscle fibers can become damaged. Having a protein shake to sip throughout your hike will supply you with necessary amino acids to prevent muscle mass reduction, prevent sore limbs, and keep you going longer! Check that your chosen protein shake contains a good level of carnatine and CLA, both ingredients utilize macronutrients to support energy production to keep you going throughout the day.
Avoid muscle cramps
Add electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) to your drink to prevent your muscles from cramping. During exercise you lose electrolytes through dehydration, sweating and blood pH management. Once these levels become unbalanced, muscles become sore and fatigued. But we have a simple answer to keep the energy levels up. Add coconut water or berries to your shake, this will rebalance electrolyte levels on the move.
Learn from our ancestors the hunters
I doubt hunters were doing this knowingly, but through their Paleolithic diet rich animal organs, they would be obtaining plentiful amounts of phosphatidyl serine which would keep them focused for hunting in all weather conditions. Phosphatidyl serine is nowadays popularly used by sportsmen and women for stamina, as it is a phospholipid compound that supports glucose metabolism for energy and ‘reward’ brain chemicals (dopamine). Phospholipids have the capability of blunting stress responding chemicals cortisol and Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), keeping people calm and focused.
