The night before a hike, eat a meal full of complex carbohydrates, like those found in starchy foods including whole grain pasta, rice, sweet potatoes and beans. Complex carbs are important for hiking because your body digests them more slowly than simple carbs, like in fruit.
Even if you are a person who normally skips breakfast, a small amount of nutrition can help to fuel your walk and provide you with energy. Consider 1/2 of a banana, a small piece of whole fruit, a handful of nuts, or a cup of milk or non-dairy alternative.
Choose something light, digestible and easy to carry
Mid-walk snacks are typically quickly digestible carbs (like a banana or some kind of energy drink). Eating something heavy (like a fruit and yogurt smoothie) will weight you down and interfere with your walk.
The bottom line. Bananas are rich in nutrients like carbs and potassium, both of which are important for exercise performance and muscle growth. They're also easy to digest and can slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, making bananas a great snack option before your next workout.
You can't go wrong with almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and cashews. Fresh nuts are by the far the best and most healthy for you so stick to these. Energy bars are a great fix if you are really lagging behind and need a super quick pick me up.
“If you're going for an hour or longer, or are doing a difficult hike, you should probably eat, because eventually you'll need energy from the food. However, for a shorter or moderate intensity walk, it's more about personal preference.”
In fact, having a leisurely stroll after dinner has distinct metabolic benefits. A 2009 study of 12 elderly type 2 diabetes patients showed that walking after eating a meal was better for minimizing the glycemic impact of a meal than walking before eating a meal.
Some research shows that exercising in the fasting state (before breakfast) helps your body burn more fat. But more studies are needed. In the meantime, it depends on your body. If you feel fine taking a walk before eating, or if your stomach feels better if you don't eat, that's OK.
Allow your body some time to get used to that. Ideally one should walk about 8 to 10 kilometers in one go three times a week within one and a half hours. Try this for four weeks. If one day you or your feet feel uncomfortable, try bicycling for an hour, just for a change.
Your training should concentrate on building a base of walking, then increasing your mileage in a structured manner. Build some back-to-back long days to enable you to assess any problems that may occur from walking the long distances. Take regular but short breaks on these long training walks.
One to three days before the event, increase your carbohydrate intake to about 8 to 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Cut back on foods higher in fat to compensate for the extra carbohydrate-rich foods. Also scale back your training for three to four days before the event.
During training, you will build your stamina by walking four days a week, starting with 20 miles in a week and increasing each week to up to 38 miles a few weeks before the race. This is broken down into three 4-mile walks and one distance-building walk each week.
Walking within 60 to 90 minutes after eating delivers the best results. Although light walking at any time is good for your health, a short walk within 60 to 90 minutes of eating a meal can be especially useful in minimizing blood sugar spikes, as that is when blood sugar levels tend to peak.
Research suggests that a short walk after eating helps manage a person's blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. Moderate daily exercise can also reduce gas and bloating, improve sleep, and boost heart health. However, there are potential downsides to walking after eating. These include indigestion and stomach pain.
“Morning exercise initiates gene programs in the muscle cells, making them more effective and better capable of metabolizing sugar and fat. Evening exercise, on the other hand, increases whole-body energy expenditure for an extended period of time.”
When exercising on an empty stomach, more of your body's energy needs are met by the breakdown of body fat. A study in 273 participants found that fat burning was higher during fasted exercise, while glucose and insulin levels were higher during non-fasted exercise ( 3 ).
On the morning of a 10k, make sure to eat a carbohydrate-based breakfast, including things like porridge or cereals, breads & fruit juices, 2-3 hours before the race. It's also key to hydrate well in the hours before by drinking plenty of water and the option to include electrolytes.
100 kilometers should be covered in 24 hours. The average runner moves at about 10 km/h. A hiker is about half as fast. With an average speed of 5 km/h you would reach your destination after 22 hours in this mammoth march.
It improves your heart health
Lower blood pressure, improved blood circulation, and a reduced risk of heart disease – a walk to start your day can be a great way to keep your heart healthy and prevent high blood pressure.
Bananas come out ahead with 1.8g of protein compared to just 0.5g in an apple. Protein is essential to maximise the results of your training and aid the recovery of the muscles.
A long walk (at least 60 minutes)
Research has shown that regular walking (and the longer, the better) can also extend your life and stave off disease.