[Rebecca Dent]

It has been a little quiet here on the nutrition forum so I would like to take the opportunity to ask a question to all you uphill athletes.

What energy bars do you prefer to take on your training sessions, mountain days, crag sessions, ski tours etc? and why?

Do you buy them or do you make them?

Has anyone tested the Uphill Athlete recipes on page 310 of ‘Training for the New Alpinism’? These are great recipes, are quick and easy to put together, pretty durable and hold together well when out on the hill (see pictures attached of the protein chocolate heroes recipe). I actually added some whey protein to this mix for those longer days, but you could also add a plant based protein powder if desired.

Here in Europe/UK preference is certainly turning towards the more natural/real food based bars e.g. hard bar, trek bars, pulsin, luna bars, as well as items such as gu waffles, honey stinger waffles, power bars.

There is an awesome website called http://www.outdoorfood.club that helps you find your bar of preference depending on activity, training requirements etc with added recipes to make your own bars, gels and hydration drinks. Its quite a new website and requires some patience when navigating, but is great for new ideas for snacks for the hill.

Rebecca (Dietitian-Uphill Athlete)

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

Topic

[Rebecca Dent]

Rebecca Dent on October 20, 2019 at 11:07 am #30569

Mariner-9 regarding Mark Twights comment on caffeine being a diuretic, we now know that caffeine does not act as a diuretic if we are habitual caffeine drinkers (tea, coffee, caffeine containing drinks). It is suggested that caffeine only starts to have a diuretic effect if we drink more than 5-6 cups per day. If we are not used to drinking caffeine then yes it can act as a diuretic.

[Rebecca Dent]

Rebecca Dent on October 20, 2019 at 11:34 am #30571

Great recipe Bri guy, this is a favourite for many of my uphill athlete custom plan clients. It is good to know that everyone seems to rely on a mix of bars and real food.

[Nick K]

Nick K on October 20, 2019 at 6:29 pm #30605

I’m another fan of probars (if you’re an AAC member, we get a deal on them that’s pretty good). Specifically, the peanut butter chocolate chip bars are my go to for anything longer than 3 hours – that’s about the amount of time where I need to put something solid into my stomach to deal with feeling hungry.

I’ve been really psyched on Spring Energy gels lately – totally unlike any other gel I’ve tried, and the non caffeinated version of their 250cal gel is an incredibly portable and speedy way to hammer in that quantity of calories.

I find those two things to be way easier to deal with than real food when I’m moving. I also really don’t like to stop moving, so anything that doesn’t fit in pockets that I can access while moving doesn’t get eaten unless I have equipment transitions. Crag days I bring probars and fruit, and I’m good.