“Winter is coming” is arguably the most known (and my favorite) quote from Game of Thrones. It has a different meaning, though, when you live in a ski town versus Westeros. Here it means it’s time to get your body ready for ski season.
How are you preparing your body for the upcoming winter season? Do you know where to start when it comes to nutrition for skiing?
Nutrition is a complex, sometimes confusing science, but it seriously doesn’t have to be and I can help you incorporate some simple strategies to support your winter endeavors. The small, consistent changes you make today, will make a monumental impact on your ski performance once the snow starts to fall. This is Jackson Hole, and I know you take skiing seriously. Maybe it’s time to up your game and take your ski nutrition seriously, too.
Keep reading for suggestions about adjusting your pre-ski season nutrition plan. Check it out, think about how you’re currently fueling and if you could make any changes, and shoot me an email if you would like an individualized plan tailored to your winter goals.
Pre-Ski Season Nutrition Strategies
Snow has fallen. The air is consistently cooler. Ski season is weeks away, and it’s time we start preparing for it. Don’t you want to feel less inflamed throughout the winter and be able to go longer and further, multiple days in a row? I do. Here are a few tips to help you with that!
- It sounds simple, but be well nourished. Getting enough calories (and quality calories, for that matter) is really important. If you are at an energy deficit, this can compromise your performance. This study called the phenomenon Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), and they claim that having an energy deficiency in training can “compromise bone health, protein synthesis, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and immunological systems. RED-S may also affect athletic performance through decreased muscle glycogen storage, which is associated with fatigue, impaired skills and concentration, increased perception of effort and increased injury risk” So, not only is it important to refuel properly after a bout of exercise for now, but this will also help you down the road (or down the slopes). Refueling with protein is a given, but restoring your glycogen stores is also important, so eat the complex carbs and protein to maximize your recovery for your next outing.
- If you’re participating in a ski fitness sessions at a local gym, focus on your pre- and post-workout fueling. This is the prime time to learn which foods your body can handle and to also get used to eating around activity. Pre-workout fuel ideas: a banana, dried fruit like apricots or mangoes, or fruit juice. Aim for 30 grams of carbohydrates within an hour of your workout. Post-workout fuel ideas: a smoothie, a protein bar plus a sports drink, eggs or tuna on whole wheat bread, Greek yogurt and berries. I recommend having a recovery snack within 30 minutes of finishing your workout, and a recovery meal within two hours of workout completion.
- Another way to prepare for ski season with nutrition is eating anti-inflammatory foods. Acute inflammation is a good thing (think swelling, redness, etc), but chronic inflammation, not so much. Chronic inflammation can be expressed through the body as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and joint disease, among others. Some symptoms that arise during the spread of chronic inflammation throughout the systems include body pain, chronic fatigue, frequent infections, and gastrointestinal issues. A major source of inflammation can come from the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in our diet; having too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3. One article says that the standard American diet consists of an omega 6:3 ratio range of 10:1. The ideal, however, is closer to 1:1. What can you do to even this out? Start by reducing your intake of trans and saturated fats by avoiding the hydrogenated oils and packaged oils that are high in omega-6 like soybean oil, corn oil, heated canola oil, while adding in greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Some great sources of omega-3 are wild caught salmon, sardines, flax seeds and walnuts. Another way to reduce your omega-6 consumption and raise your omega-3 is by cutting back on conventionally raised meat and choosing grass-fed/finished meat, pasture raised poultry, or wild caught fish. Additionally, eating adequate fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants to combat oxidative stress. These are just a few ideas to get you started.
To wrap up: refuel and recover after ski fit training sessions, eat enough food so you are nourished, and pay attention to the quality of what you consume.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort opens in less than 6 weeks. Will you be ready?
Sources
- Pahwa R, Goyal A, Bansal P, et al. Chronic Inflammation. [Updated 2020 Aug 10]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
- Raizel, R., da Mata Godois, A., Coqueiro, A. Y., Voltarelli, F. A., Fett, C. A., Tirapegui, J., de Paula Ravagnani, F. C., & de Faria Coelho-Ravagnani, C. (2017). Pre-season dietary intake of professional soccer players. Nutrition and Health, 23(4), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106017737014
- Robertson, R. (2010, November 21). Omega-3-6-9 Fatty Acids: A Complete Overview. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-6-9-overview#section2
- Simopoulos, A. P. (2002). The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 56(8), 365–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0753-3322(02)00253-6
