I don't know if this is a tip because I am still learning a lot about this subject. However, I think you might want to pay attention to what you are eating before you go skiing. My understanding, please take as very limited, is that you do not want to have a lot of sugar in your blood before you start a race. Apparently, this will cause your body to start burning into your glycogen stores too quickly. You might also want to be careful with your start as a too fast start will also get your body burning glycogen too quickly. I think that the basic idea is to start of slow and smooth (maybe some nice slow pre-race warm-ups) and get your body into a fat burning cycle. As the race progresses, your body will use up these other “fat”? stores and convert into the glycogen burning which you can sort of replace with all of the energy drinks/gu's and stuff. Apparently once you start into this glycogen cycle you can't get back to burning the other stuff and you will at some point bonk if your glycogen stores run too low. Some people may also need to pay attention, especially me, to eating a lot of bananas because the potassium? In the bananas apparently helps prevent cramping.
I am still learning a lot about this stuff and have read every e-mail with interest. I have a very limited understanding of this subject and would appreciate any corrections to what I Have just said. I am also attaching a ski-post from last year that discusses the glycemic index. Jim Johnston Glycemic Buzz The last skipost regarding getting happily to the finish of a race brought quite a few emails. It seems more than a few out there are coming to grief with 10km or so to go. I think training, pre-race prep and pacing are perhaps most important, and should be looked at before secretes like the coke/coffee combo, or which sports drink is best, etc are taken into account (though they are also good to explore). Fuel is however very important. There has been a lot of buzz lately about the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods based their effect on blood glucose levels. It's been a tool of diabetics for some time, and has caught on as a tool of sports performance. It should be noted that most of the GI research has so far been done on non-athletic folks and there is a big difference between what our bodies do with carbos and what a more sedentary person's body does with them. A food that raises the blood glucose rapidly has a high glycemic index. The idea is that one should avoid eating high GI foods before a competition so as not to create a drop in sugar levels while racing, but to use them during and after a race or training to maintain and replenish glycogen supplies quickly. I think that this can be fairly helpful, but that there is more to it, and that as is the case with many performance related things, you have to experiment with it for yourself. There are no rules. Some things to keep in mind when using the GI is that one food will affect different people very differently; also, how it is prepared and how long it is cooked can seriously affect its GI ranking. How much is eaten also comes into play, as does what it is eaten with, when it is eaten (empty or full stomach, after training, before…), as well as other factors. My personal experience is that these variables make using the GI alone as a performance tool unreliable, and I am fairly sensitive to blood sugar levels. However, I know others who find it quite helpful. In the end, I think that checking out a list of high vs. low GI foods (readily available on the net among other places) is a good idea, and that taking that information and experimenting with the consumption of different types of food before, during and after an event may get some people a few more km down the trail. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 12:09 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [XC] Birkie Nutrition Hello Folks- Since i imagine a whole bunch of you will be going up to the Birkie next weekend and may be dealing with this very issue--i wanted to throw this dilemma and question your way-- nutrition related. So, there probably is a very simple answer to this, but i seem to have the darndest time staying hydrated and fed while skiing long distance... (As a former collegiate cyclist--i dont recall this same problem, so i am intrigued) Case in point--i skied 3 hours yesterday--40k and come the last 10k, i was feeling downright crummy--and not just because of fitness--legs were a little heavy, but ok. During those three hours i drank 2 16oz bottles of water, a granola bar, and 2 power gels. I get back to the lodge and am fried/lethargic/borderline nauseous--low blood sugar? At first, i thought it was for being out of shape, but after a couple of bottles of water, more food, etc, i perk back up-(after 20 minutes maybe)-- to the point where i feel tired, but fine. I think it is a serious question of depletion of electrolytes/energy--but for some reason, i just cant get the food/water combo down. Skiing in the cold weather, on hills, with wind, SUCKS calories, so i understand i need to eat--and i "suffer" from a huge metablism and low body fat... Do any of you long term, long distance Birkie skiers have any suggestions? What works, what doesn't? I have told myself that i will stop at every aid station and DRINK at EAT... but what to eat? Thanks for any tips you might have... Coach Don? Cheers, >From back in wave 5. Eric ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ University of Wisconsin-Madison M.S. Urban and Regional Planning M.S. Candidate Institute for Environmental Studies 925 Bascom Mall 110 Music Hall Madison, WI 53706 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _______________________________________________ http://www.MadNorSki.org/ XC mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc << File: ENVELOPE.TXT >> _______________________________________________ http://www.MadNorSki.org/ XC mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc
