Exercising on an empty stomach has become more popular, and it’s normal to wonder if there are advantages to hiking on an empty stomach, as well.
For most people, it’s not a good idea to hike on an empty stomach. When hiking, you need to be at your best physically and mentally or you may put yourself in a dangerous situation. While there are some weight-loss benefits to exercising while hungry, hiking is an outdoor sport and should be treated differently.
Read on to learn more about why you should fuel up before hiking.
Why Hiking on an Empty Stomach is a Bad Idea
In general, you should eat a filling and nutritious meal before hiking. Hiking on an empty stomach or after eating a sugar-filled meal can leave you feeling weak, hungry, grumpy, and light-headed. If you want to be at your best while hiking, as well as enjoy the experience, you should fuel your body. This is especially true for children whose growing bodies can consume energy quickly.
In order to feel at your best while hiking, you should eat a high-quality, nutritious meal before you leave. Complex carbohydrates will give your body energy to exercise, while proteins and healthy fats will help your energy last longer and keep your blood sugar stable. You should avoid eating processed sugars and simple carbohydrates which will spike your blood sugar and be digested too quickly, as well as heavy meals that will make you feel sluggish.
Some people exercise on an empty stomach or while fasting, which can be a successful technique to help lose weight. Hiking on an empty stomach can force your body to use the energy it has stored as fat. Sometimes people who have sensitive stomachs or who are worried about digestive upsets will also choose not to eat, or to eat sparingly, before hiking. Finally, people who are used to fasting or who are practicing intermittent fasting will usually continue their regular eating schedule, even if that means waiting until after a hike to eat. For these situations, it makes sense to hike hungry. However, for most people, especially children, it’s important to fuel the body well before hiking for the best experience.
Which is More Important for Hiking: Protein or Carbs?
Your body will be at its best while hiking if you have a balanced meal containing both protein and complex carbohydrates. These two basic nutrients will work together to fuel your body, provide energy, and help you feel full. Other nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, are also vital but most won’t have an immediate impact on your well-being while hiking.
Why You Need Protein for Exercise
Protein is important to help fuel your body because it lasts longer than carbohydrates and allows your body an energy source after it has used up all its sugar. It also helps you to feel full and helps balance your blood sugar so you won’t experience spikes and drops. This happens because digesting protein (and fat) takes longer, and helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates at the same time.
Why You Need Carbohydrates for Exercise
Most of the time, your body needs carbohydrates for energy. Eating enough complex carbohydrates before you hike can help you feel energetic and keep going longer. However, it’s important to eat the right kinds of carbohydrates. simple, refined carbs can be digested too quickly, causing a spike and subsequent drop in blood sugar. Instead, focus on complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest, such as vegetables, some fruits, and whole grains.
Food to Avoid When Hiking
While you are planning hiking snacks and meals, you should also consider what NOT to eat. Not only are these foods not very helpful in fueling your body, but they could actually be harmful or cause you to feel poorly. While many of these foods can be eaten in moderation, even while exercising, they may be better to avoid altogether. At the very least, make sure that if you do have some of these foods, you take them in addition to a balanced meal, which will moderate the effect.
- Sugar
- Simple Carbohydrates
- Sugary or high-caffeine energy drinks (coffee is okay, read why here.)
- Alcohol
- Greasy foods
- Heavy meals
- Anything you have trouble digesting
Breakfast Ideas Before Hiking
Whether you are camping, staying in a hotel, or hiking near your home, choosing a healthy breakfast to eat before you head out can be challenging. Protein can be difficult to get at breakfast for Americans becasue we have been so conditioned to eat fast, sugary, or high-carb processed foods for this meal. Eggs are probably the best breakfast food available. They contain plenty of protein, can be cooked in many different ways, and feel like a traditional breakfast food, unlike many protein sources. However, there are other protein options as well:
- Scrambled, fried, or poached eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Peanut butter
- Omelet
- Breakfast burritos or sandwiches
Couple your protein with a complex carbohydrate:
- Multi-grain toast
- Fresh, unsweetened fruit
- Granola and milk
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Granola yogurt parfait
Best Breakfast Burritos for Camping
Makes 12
- 1 lb sausage, ham cubes, or bacon
- 1 bag frozen hashbrowns
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 small can green chilies
- 12-15 medium tortillas
Cook meat and hashbrowns until nearly done. Add beaten eggs and cook. Remove from heat and add sour cream, cheese, and green chilies. Spread into 12 warm tortillas and wrap tightly. Wrap in a layer of foil or parchment paper. You can store these in the refrigerator or freezer and heat them later. Wrap in foil to heat slowly over a fire, or remove from wrappings, butter, and heat in a warm skillet until heated through.
Healthy High-Protein Snacks for Hiking
High-protein snacks can help you stay full and keep you from experiencing symptoms of low blood sugar or hunger. It can be hard to find healthy, portable, lightweight high-protein snacks which you can easily carry in a backpack. Here are some options:
- Jerky
- Cheesesticks
- Boiled eggs
- Protein bars (can be high in sugar)
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Cold meat and cheese
Healthy Carbohydrate Snacks for Hiking
When choosing snacks to help boost your energy on a hike, stick with mostly complex carbohydrates. These will give you energy for longer and you won’t experience a sugar rush. Here are some complex carbohydrate ideas:
- Fresh vegetables and fruit
- Granola bars (can be high in sugar)
- Plain or buttered popcorn
- Trail mix
- Nuts
- Dried fruit (high in sugar, and can cause stomachaches)
- Whole-grain crackers
- Homemade oatmeal cookies
Why You Should Bring Salty Snacks When Hiking
Salty snacks help your body replenish electrolytes that can be lost during exercise, especially when it is warm outside or you are sweating. It’s a good idea to bring some salty snacks or an electrolyte drink on your hike if it is hot outside, if it’s a strenuous hike, or if you will be hiking for more than a couple of hours. Of course, it is essential to bring enough water as hiking and eating salty snacks will make you thirstier than normal. Here are some ideas for salty snacks:
- Salty crackers
- Jerkey
- Peanut butter sandwich crackers
- Snack mix
- Trail mix
- Nuts
Snacks Kids Love to Bring Hiking
When you are hiking as a family, it’s important to bring snacks that kids will enjoy. Growing bodies need fuel more often and they can get hungry quickly while exercising or playing outside. Bring more snacks than you think you will need- not only do snacks help kids stay happy and give them lots of energy, but they also make hiking more fun and help kids from getting bored.
I wrote a blog post specifically about what snacks to bring when you are hiking with kids, including a long list of specific snack ideas. You can find it here. In general, you will want to focus on the main categories of proteins and complex carbohydrates no matter who you are feeding.
Kids can help carry their own snacks while they are hiking, as long as they’re not too heavy. Kids can carry about 10% of their body weight. It’s helpful that kids enjoy helping and they like the idea of packing their own snacks along. Once they have eaten the snacks, their packs will be empty for the walk back to the car, which is when they are most likely to be tired and want a lighter load.
