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Downhill skiing uses about 400 calories an hour, while if
you do cross-country skiing, you could be burning upto 1000 calories an
hour. And that's without the energy needed to keep you warm. Sounds like
a great fat burner, but this is simply not the right time to start on a
low-carb diet! You simply will not have the energy to get the most out
of your skiing (and that means burning less calories!). What you need when skiing is
energy, and quite frankly, lots of it. Without it, you simply won't
enjoy yourself. This means eating carbohydrates or you'll find yourself
too tired to move. And that is no fun at all.
At lunch time, you need to replenish your
carbohydrates with foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes, grains and
fruits. But what about the classic cheesy and meaty dishes you've become
accustomed to? Despite the high fat content, they taste great and you
shouldn't ignore them on the menu. But bear in mind that you will be
able to ski harder and longer if you also include a source of carbohydrates.
For example, if your cooking yourself, include a
handful of lentils in your bolognese. For breakfast, have some baked
beans and brown toast.
Once you have the carbohydrates (and thus energy) in
your system, you'll need to ensure that your muscles receive all the
goodness from your efforts. Do this by making sure you stay well
hydrated throughout the day. If you're feeling thirsty, you're
de-hydrated. Drink water until you feel ok- then have half a glass more.
Its been scientifically proven that de-hydrated people don't perform
their best! Think water = energy!
Feel free to enjoy a coffee, tea or hot chocolate on
the mountain- but avoid an Irish Coffee (or any other alcohol). Too much
apres ski means you aren't your best the next day. The last you need to
do is contribute to this problem on the mountains as well. Therefore, try to
keep to a maximum 21 units (10 pints) of alcohol - 14 units for women-
throughout the week.
Its also a good idea to carry some energy replenishing
snacks onto the mountain with you. Flapjacks are perfect, but so are
dried fruits and mints.
But overall, enjoy yourself! |
