A plan of nutrition essentials for climbers is not a specific plan for all the climbers. It can vary depending on the weight, physiological needs, etc. of each climber. But, there are general tips that everyone in this condition can use, and Iran mountaineering tours are no exception. In this article, we share our recommendations about what to eat and drink in climbing Damavand tours. In our ultimate food guide for trekking, you can find tips for before, during, and after your mountain trekking.
Things You Should Eat Before Trekking
A climber should know what to eat and drink before the climbing starts to be more successful during the ascend. Doing a heavy climbing plan such as climbing Damavand needs having a meal plan from two or one weeks ahead. Your body needs to store the energy of nutrients during this time as much as possible. Mountaineers need to increase carbohydrates consumption during the last week before the climbing starts. So, it means you should eat more pasta and potatoes. Also, we recommend you pay more attention to increasing the fluid of your body. Mainly, you need to drink more fluids before any of your pre-climb pieces of training.
But what you shouldn’t eat/drink on the week before your ascend? It’s really better not to drink alcohol during this time because it decreases the fluid in your body. Drinking coffee and cola is not a good idea as well because it can cause sleep deprivation and fluid loss in your body.
Nutrition Plan for Pre-Climb Training
The peak of your pre-climb training is in the last weeks before the ascend, which can cause a lot of pressure. So, the right balance for the nutrition you take should be 60% carbohydrate, 25% fat, and 15% protein. With the increase of the training, the importance of snacks and supplements for preparation increase. Snacks full of carbs can help to store glycogen during this time. Here’s a list of nutrition essentials for climbers on the week before the ascend:
- Cake Slices
- Soup with Grains
- Low Fat Yoghurt with Date
- Biscuits
- Banana
- Low Fat Milk
- Dried Fruits
- Vegetable Soup or Noodles
- Rice Pudding
- Barley Soup
- Toast with Jam
- Banana/Mango Milk
What to Eat On the Night before Ascend?
Your dinner plan on the night of the ascend is better to be mostly based on carbohydrates. It can include whole grains, beans, and fruits full of nutrients. You should avoid fats, especially on this night. Because your stomach can digest it very slowly, and it can cause stomach problems during your workout.
The food recommended for the night before the ascend:
- Mashed potatoes, whole wheat bread, and vegetables
- Whole wheat pasta with ketchup and vegetables
- Noodles, pasta, or soup
- Brown rice, chicken, and vegetables
- Chicken fillet with wheat bread and a little olive oil
Breakfast on the Morning of the Ascend
Breakfast is the main meal of a mountaineer. Usually, climbers don’t have enough time to eat lunch, and they’re too tired of the ascend at dinner time. On this day, a light breakfast full of carbs is what you need. Your body needs both fast and slow-digesting carbs for boosting your energy to have a successful ascend. So, try having chocolate, honey, dates, and bananas as well as bread and rice pudding on your diet. This way, you will have an energetic start and remain energetic for hours.
Don’t forget to have fluids in your breakfast. Tea can be a right choice because It increases your appetite. But, drinking too much tea can increase bladder activity. Also, we recommend the climbers drink water after waking up every morning. Only use small amounts of fat and protein. The milk in the rice pudding, dried curd, and some cheese is enough for providing protein for your body. Also, you can use pistachio, peanut butter, and other nuts for covering the fat your body needs. Overall, because the time of breakfast is before the start of the trekking, your body doesn’t have time for digesting high-fat foods. Even if you are not used to eat breakfast, you have to eat breakfast well when you are ascending. Because not having breakfast means low blood sugar and feeling exhausted, which might make continuing the climb impossible.
The List of Suggestions for Breakfast
- Fruits
- Pancakes
- Oatmeal
- Bread
- Honey
- Powdered Milk
- Cheese
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Hazelnut
- Rice Pudding
- Biscuits
- Jam
- Date
- Banana
- Chocolate
- Walnut
- Pistachio
Meals Plan During Trekking Damavand
Losing weight and a decrease in body fat is inevitable when climbing mountains. So, you shouldn’t forget to have fluids and carbs the whole time you are climbing. If you forget to pay enough attention to what you eat, you might experience altitude sickness. Also, on the altitude higher than 3000 meters, you might experience high altitude anorexia, which means you will lose your appetite. To deal with your loss of appetite, you can have snacks throughout your climbing. The lunch of a mountaineer is not a huge amount of high-calorie meals. Instead, mountaineers should provide energy for their bodies by having small snacks full of carbs. Also, it’s better to take your favorite food or snacks because they can increase your appetite. Two hundred calories of carbs for each hour of mountaineering keeps you away from bonking.
Food Suggestions for Trekking Damavand
While you are climbing Damavand, you can eat food and snacks which contain a lot of energy in small units. You can use snacks such as dried fruits, dates, biscuits, and nuts. By using such snacks, you can provide the electrolyte that your body needs. Following, you can see a list of the food and snacks you can eat during trekking Damavand:
- Snack Bars
- Jelly
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Jerky and Dried Meats
- Eggs with Salt
- Salami
- Cheese
- Bread
- Dried Fruits
- Nuts
Don’t Skip Dinner During Trekking
You shouldn’t skip dinner because of low appetite, being exhausted, or any other reason, especially when you are mountain trekking during the cold season. If you skip dinner, you will wake up tired and not in the mood for trekking the next day. Also, you need to take as many fluids as possible to prevent muscle cramps.
Suggestions for Dinner During Trekking
- Hot Soup or Noodles: You can add grated carrots or cabbage, pieces of chicken, sliced mushrooms, rolled oats, dried vegetables, and condiments to it.
- Meat, Eggs, and Dairy
- Rice with yogurt, beans such as lentils, and mushrooms
- Pasta
Fluids Are Essential for A Successful Ascend!
Dehydration can cause lethargy and dysfunctions for climbers. We recommend you to drink water or any other drink continuously over time. It’s good to drink 300 ccs of liquids every hour. Also, the daily amount of water a climber needs is at least 3 liters for eight hours of trekking. You can also make a special drink for your trekking! Add a few spoons of sugar/honey, 1.5 grams of ORS powder, and lemon/herbal essences to 1 liter of water. This makes an appropriate drink for climbing high altitudes. The other option for providing the fluid your body needs are fruit juices, especially orange juice. It can help to replace the salts your body has lost because of sweating.
Also, don’t forget that the temperature of the water you drink should be similar to your body temperature. Drinking water colder than five centigrade spends a lot of your body energy for temperature adjustment.
Nutrition Essentials for After Climbing
Having an appropriate diet after climbing for recovering your body is as important as your diet before and during climbing. The priority after climbing is restoring fluid loss. Your recovery plan should start right after your physical activity. Having a plan for the food and drinks you are going to have after ascended can be helpful. Moreover, you should consider the first 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 48 hours after climbing in your plan.
First 30 Minutes
- Drink at least haft liter water in the first 30 minutes.
- The food you eat should be full of carbs such as pasta, rice pudding, potatoes, and banana.
- Avoids eating fats
- You need 2-4 grams of protein and 8 grams of carbs for each kilogram of your body weight
30 Minutes to 4 Hours After Climbing
- Try having meals full of carbs
- It’s the best time for having natural fruit juices, sports drinks, chocolates, and sweets
4-48 Hours After Ascend
- Eat high carbs foods
- Don’t forget to drink fluids and water
- Add salt to your water or food
- It’s a great idea to drink a sports drink
