Does anyone have trouble eating?

[SAR-EMT40]

I was wondering how many people have trouble eating after hiking hard. I swear that my stomach shuts off after hiking hard. I thought that I had read that blood flow is shunted away from the stomach, preventing digestion, during heavy exercise and sent to other more important organs and muscles. I find it really difficult to eat anything. Nothing even looks interesting to me, even stuff I normally love. It can take an hour or more sometimes for this to end. I have to force myself to eat gorp or powergel to keep my energy level up during a hard hike. Drinking has never been a problem. How many others have experienced this?

Keith

 

[MEB]

I enjoy eating almost as much as I enjoy hiking! During a hard long hike though I find it hard to eat a lot at once so I usually have little snacks and tidbits through out the day and sometimes it does feel like I have to force myself (usually in warmer weahter). By the time a get to the car usually all I can think about is what am I going to get to eat on the way home and where can I get a decent cup of coffee!

 

[trailbiscuit]

I've had a similar problem since I was just a wee lad playing soccer. It was worse after cross country and track in HS and college. I find that on longer/harder hikes, the key is to keep eating. Little bits as I go, even if I'm not hungry. If you can pop a little bit of food as I go, it keeps things open for mass consumption later. Sometimes, though, it gets so bad, I don't even want a beer!

 

[dclynch]

Lactic Acidosis?

You may be flirting with your lactate threshold. You tend to lose your appetite, as well as muscle mass, at that point. To avoid this, keep ingesting a steady supply of carbohydrates as you go. Alternatively, you could slow down, but that's no fun!

 

[Don]

I HAVE TO MAKE IT A POINT TO EAT WHILE HIKING, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER. OFTEN TIMES I DON'T EAT ENOUGH AND RUN OUT OF ENERGY, THEN I TRY TO MAKE UP FOR IT BY EATING AND SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DON'T.

 

[bobandgeri]

Geesh - one of the reasons we hike is so we can eat more!

But after a day of hard exercise we do not feel hungry until we sit down in front of a plate of food. We do try to snack throughout a hike verus waiting for a lunch break.

 

[rhihn]

I know the adage "eat before you're hungry and drink before you're thirsty" but sometimes I don't follow it. I might get wrapped up in the hike itself, either a physically challenging part, or get sidetracked over something interesting. At the top of a mountain, if I've worked real hard to get there, I often don't feel like eating for a good 15-20 minutes. I'm usually better at drinking enough.

 

[Jay H]

Not just eating but sometimes after a real long strenuous hike, I have problems sleeping.. between the lactic acid and the adrenaline, it keeps me awake even though physically and mentally, I know I must be tired.

Jay

 

[MichaelJ]

I have a ton of trouble eating while hiking. It really upsets my stomach and can send me off trail far too often. The alternative, though, is even worse, since I lose strength, get a headache, and become even more miserable. I'm still working on trying to find the right balance.

After the hike, however, I can eat anything and everything in sight.

 

[Panama Jack]

I agree with Michaelj

When I know I MUST eat while in the backcountry I have no appetite. Get me off the trail & I could eat the tires off my truck

 

[coldmountain]

I have never experienced a lack of appetite after a hike. But one of my hiking buddies gets that way once in awhile. He can really eat on a normal day but he has to wait after longer hikes. It strikes me as odd every time. Ive finished stuff on him all over Northern New England. Once he didnt even touch a meal he had ordered.(Brakemans at the Station too, shameful really) And once in awhile he will get his to go instead of even trying it!

 

[ROCKYSUMMIT]

hey jay,
i thought i was the only person on earth that couldn't sleep after a long grueling hike,but i quess not. eating & sleeping after a normal hike is usually
not a problem, but after some of those extra special ones, i do go through this. i was wondering why.

 

[percious]

I have the same problem on day hikes, when I have next to nothing on my back. It usually only occurs when I am doing >2 miles per hour, or 1000+ft elevation per hour. I'm not sure why this happens, but I just feel like my body shuts down hunger to concentrate on the task at hand. In any event, I force myself to eat, and at the end of the day, it helps me to be a little hungry at dinner. Once I sit down and start eating, look out, hunger comes back, as if my body is saying, "Ok, I see we are out of trouble, time to fuel up." I would wonder if a little gatorade in your bottle (sugar) would go a long way or not.

-percious

 

[ChrisB]

Those Cravings!

I find that I crave certain foods and bevis after a hard hike.

For example, I NEVER want or eat potato chips... until after a hike. Then those greasy, Cape Cod salty treats are a must-have for the ride home.

I also find that I want to slug a bottle Snapple Ice Tea and a lo-fat chocolate milk along with those chips.

It's become sort of a disgusting ritual, especially in warm wx.

I often under eat and hydrate while hiking, so I guess it's not all that surprising. And maybe the illusion of hard exercise gives me license to indulge in foods I normally avoid.

Another benefit of a day on the trail!!

cb

 

[Rivet]

I'm reminded of the movie The Jerk when Steve Martin says he has a "drinking problem" - then takes a drink of water and it splashes over his face.

All the advice above is good. Take frequent snack breaks. Eat foods you're already used to. Drink lots of fluids. Don't push yourself too hard.

 

[Nessmuk]

It might not be a question of food...
Your body's desire to eat may be controlled by its hydration level. If you are not well enough hydrated and not feeling like eating, your stomach may be telling you something very important. You should not eat unless you get some fluids in your system first. Most people do not drink enough during a hard hike, if they drink much at all, and your blood chemistry may be have been altered as well.

I tend to crave both sweets and salts after a hefty hike. A cookie or piece of cake, and salted nuts or pretzels and chips. Carbos and electrolytes. Drink hearty.

 

[Jim lombard]

I keep sweets in coat pockets so I don't have to stop to eat. At high elevation this summer when I wasn't hungry I found Gu-gel was great to have. Anything that tastes like chocolate frosting goes down pretty good!