Aticle #4

Article #4 

The Essential Rules of Performance Nutrition-James Fisher 

Foster Johansson 

Overall rating ⅘ 

     The article I chose explains what could happen if you haven't eaten or are dehydrated during a trip, and also how you should replenish them, or prevent it from happening. This article has essential information on how to stay energized and hydrated during a trip, most of the facts in the article were surprising to me, and I had never thought of those things. To begin with, there are six sections in this article. The first one explains the importance of staying hydrated. The facts in this section surprised me as I didn't know that you should drink every 20 mins or so. Also I had no clue that it is good to drink after a hike or long trip to rehydrate. The article states that you must drink 14 to 22 ounces of water two hours before the trip, 12 ounces every twenty minutes during the hike, and after the hike you must drink another 16 to 20 ounces to rehydrate. The second section tells readers the importance of carbohydrates and keeping your energy up. If you don't eat enough carbs, your body starts to use your muscle proteins and stored fat to burn and fuel your body which is not a nice feeling for you, and certainly not very healthy. It is good to eat 120 to 240 calories every hour to keep your energy up. Next is the third section. The third section explains how important breakfast is. I always knew that it was necessary to eat a large, healthy breakfast before exercise, but it really surprised me to see that you shouldn't eat a very large breakfast. Only 300 to 500 grams is what is recommended before a trip, as if you don't meet those standards, you will start hiking in a fasting state. Also in the fourth section, it talks about eating food. You should eat every hour to keep your body from using stored fat and muscle protein. In the fifth section it tells readers that is is strongly recommended to recover after a trip by eating protein and carbs in a 4:1 ration. The carbohydrates replenish lost muscle sugars, and the proteins replace lost amino acids to repair muscle tissue. Powdered sports drinks and protein shakes are recommended because the have all the necessary ingredients. In the last section it states that it is important to consume electrolytes when doing a trip in heat. If you don't replenish your electrolytes in heat, it could be devastating to your health and it will make you extremely tired. Not consuming electrolytes could create hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition where your body doesn't have enough salts to function. Before reading this, I never knew electrolytes were an actual thing, not just a thing energy drink companies made up. So, if your going for a trip, and your worried about your health, or packing your lunches, this is a really good article to read to know how much you should be consuming during your trip. Reading this has made me change my view on nutrition for a day while hiking, and it made me realize that our meals were not complete and could have been much better if my group had read this article.

 Fischer, James. "The Essential Rules of Performance Nutrition." The Essential Rules of Performance Nutrition Comments. Backpacker, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 7 May 2015. .