The Ultimate Guide to Tracking Calories While Hiking

General calorie counting for creating food rations has recently lost its relevance among professionals. After all, a person's kilocalorie intake depends on many factors. It depends not only on the quality and method of food preparation but also on the individual features of each particular human body's metabolism. But all this does not cancel one of the basic laws of rational nutrition—it is necessary to keep a balance between the energy that comes with food and a person's energy expenditure.

Where is energy spent on a hike and why is it important to compensate for it?

Any process of body activity requires energy expenditure. Suppose energy needs are more than the energy received from outside. In that case, a person will feel fatigue and weakness, and in case of regular energy shortage — it will lead to a violation of internal metabolism and development of various diseases.

At first, it will be manifested in the compensation stage. The organism realizes that the foremost vital functions are breathing and the activity of internal organs. And it will direct the received energy primarily to support these processes, the so-called basic metabolism. 

Everything else — goes to the second plan. Motivation, the ability to concentrate, clarity of actions, optimism, planning, and the ability to enjoy life also require energy expenditure. Ironically, however, these processes are not vital. Therefore, a person who chronically under-eats but continues to expend energy on some action will be in a state of constant depression.

Adequate energy balance is especially important when traveling with high physical activity. The normal mode and routines will change, requiring high energy expenditure.

Bookatrekking.com is a trekking company that can help you choose a hiking trip based on your physical strength and nutrition. It offers hiking trips lasting a couple of days and over 10 days. All the hiking routes are described in detail on their blog, giving you a complete understanding of how demanding they are. This information can help you better understand how many calories you burn and what nutrition you need for the exact hiking tour.

How to correctly calculate the energy needs of a person?

A special formula, Mifflin-St Géor, developed by a group of American doctors-dietitians, calculates the necessary kilocalories per day for each person.

A simplified version of the Mifflin-San Géor formula (the result is very approximate and will not suit physically active people):

• For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (p) + 5
• For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (p) - 161

The finalized version of the formula gives more accurate information and takes into account the degree of physical activity of a person:

• For men: (10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (d) + 5) x A
• For women: (10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (d) - 161) x A

Where A is the activity level of a person, it is distinguished usually by 5 degrees of physical activity per day:

• Minimal activity: A = 1.2
• Mild activity: A = 1.375
• Medium activity: A = 1.55
• High activity: A = 1.725
• Extra-activity: A = 1.9 (this category usually includes people who do, for example, weightlifting or other power sports with daily training, as well as those who do heavy physical work)

The second version of the formula would be best for calculating energy requirements on a hike.

Here is an example. A 30-year-old woman with a height of 160cm and a weight of 55 kg, whose physical activity can be assessed as high, needs 2137 kcal/day. We used this formula: (10х55+6,25х160-5х30-161)х1,725

This figure considers the requirements for basic metabolism and the additional costs associated with physical activity.

Features of energy expenditures on a hike and how to properly replenish the energy

There are also special formulas for determining energy expenditure in hiking conditions. These formulas can consider not only weight, height, and age but also all the variety of physical activity in the hike, landscape features, uphill and downhill climbs, and the backpack's weight. Determining the caloric content of the diet for calculating energy expenditure is only an indicative tool for building an individual menu. Why is that?

Well, it's about now that we come to the most interesting part. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are not equal in all their variety, even having the same number of kilocalories. To understand this statement, we can talk about a campfire. What is easier to keep a fire going? Newspaper or tree logs? So, consuming only "fast carbohydrates" with high caloric value can be compared to newsprint. Complex carbohydrates, sources of fat and protein, will act as a complete solid fuel. Therefore, determining the caloric content in great detail is a rather relative matter and requires an individual approach. Template solutions in this area do not work.

What should a traveler do?

Suppose your trip is not long hut-to-hut hiking in Austria. In that case, the calorie menu should be made following general recommendations. Knowing your approximate energy expenditures, it is easy to determine what nutrients and in what ratio should be on your menu:

• 55% — carbohydrates
• 15% — at the expense of proteins
• 30% — fats

If we go back to our previous example, this would amount to:

• Carbohydrates — 1175 kcal
• Protein — 321 kcal
• Fats — 641 kcal

Recall that this division is quite conditional. The content of kilocalories in the corresponding menu will also depend on the structure and quality of the route and other conditions.

Preparing a menu for a hike should not be guided solely by the kilocalorie content of the product. There should be an energy balance, but the qualitative composition of the main nutrients is equally important.

Conclusion

In conclusion, tracking calories while hiking is essential for anyone looking to optimize their outdoor experience. By understanding the energy demands of different terrains, elevations, and durations, hikers can better prepare themselves both physically and mentally for their adventures.