Hydration - Pacific Crest Trail

imported
#1

I was wondering how many people are using a hydration product like Nuun, or elixir in their water?

Craig

#2

Please! All you need is water.If you are thirsty drink some water,if not dont sweat it.How did this idea start that one had to drink some “designer” water?

old&intheway

#3

I’ve found the Nuun tablets to be very helpful. Not everyone sweats alike but all need to replace lost electrolytes somehow. Some of the mixes do very little to help with this, but Nuun is one that does. They are lightweight and mix up well – and the different flavors are great!

Woody

#4

One of the best,most beneficial pieces of advice I received last year as I prepared for my thru was - To have at least one electrolyte drink a day - regardless of temps. On the several occasions I could not find them at very rural re-supplies - I could really tell a difference in recovery and hydration after a couple of days.

Try powdered Replenish, Crystal Light On the Go - Hydration (all Crystal Light does NOT have electrolytes, nor does Propel), & Gatorade - available at most grocery stores & Nuun and Elixer (I think)are at most outfitters.

Another “trick” - leave town with a cold bottle of Gatorade that then becomes your water bottle until the next town.
Also - mix instant tea with lemon flavored electrolyte mix to make an Arnold Palmer - great after a long day on the trail - just like you’re at the club!!

Evil Eye

#5

Most, if not all ‘proper’ electrolyte beverages have sodium, magneisum, potassium and calcium. I use them while adventure racing and they’re indespensible. I also used them while in the desert and found they were quite helpful (I used E-Caps).

That being said, they’re not ‘required’ if you’re getting sufficient minerals from your food.

Sodium - if you’re eating anything salty in the traditional sense, you’ll probably get plenty from your food (nuts, anything with a flavoring powder like ramen or the Knorr rice sides, etc.)

Calcium - powdered milk and cheese are your friends on this score. Given the heavy demands on your body, you probably want to get significantly more than the RDA.

I’m unsure of what foods are rich in magnesium. Nunn has 12.5 mg per tablet per the label. The regular multi-vitamin I took on the trail had 100 mg (listed as 25% of the USDA RDA).

The one than can be tricky to get enough of is potassium. Apparently pistachios are rich in this mineral (as well as being high calorie and tasty - ideal hiker food). Banana’s are rich in this mineral, but probably too heavy to carry more than one or two out of town (plus the hassle of carrying the peel out of the wilderness). Another way to supplement potassium that I used (it was suggested to me, but I forget from where) is to get some “salt substitute” from the grocery store (look on the spice aisle) - it’s potassium chloride instead of regular sodium chloride (normal table salt). Somewhere between a fat pinch to a very small rounded heap in the palm (say 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon) into a cooked dinner adds quite a bit of potassium to the diet. I’m not too sensitive on taste and couldn’t taste the stuff in my food.

Token Civilian

#6

For me, one packet of electrolyte replacement a day keeps nightlty leg cramps away. Wouldn’t leave home without it.

bluevist

#7

thanks everyone. I personally use nuun and did so on the PCT last year. I found it great for it’s electrolytes but also the fact it was sugar free. It didn’t grow science experiments in my bladder or bottle. Being conscious of waste I liked how it saved me throwing away 12 bottles since I used one I already had.

craig

#8

Magnesium is found in nut meats. Walnuts are an excellent source of this essential mineral. Six walnut halve exceed the daily requirement for this mineral. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and can be carried as banana chips for a nice sweet trail treat. Calcium is in milk and cheese products.

Don’t assume that pre-packaged food has these nutrients. Many of the products listed in other posts are filled with “fake” (chemically based) substitutes for expensive natural ingredients.

Stay safe!

Terrible Tess

#9

Use of fluid supplements is highly recommended particularly during hot periods. If you remember the inaugural woman’s marathon in the 1984 Olympics, the spectacle that was Greta Waitz occurred because she failed to replace electrolytes. You can replace some through nutrition (dried bnanas, pineapple, etc.) but Nunn, Tang Sports Beverage, and others are excellent and convenient (most importantly light weight).

ron

#10

An chemist uncle of mine developed an electrolyte replacement powder back in the 70’s which is now coming on the market in REI stores and other places. Once called Gookinaide and sold by his relatives, it is now sold as Vitalyte. It’s the best stuff i’ve tried- doesn’t taste bad, is light weight and available by the kilo or in single serve packets that make either 32 or 16.9 ounces. The 16 oz “stick” only costs .75 and is easy to throw into your pack.

Vegie

#11

Banana chips (dried bananas) still retain a lot of potassium, and a fair amount of calcium–lighter than bananas (pack weight), no peels to pack out, and usually they’ve been prepared with a small amount of oil–which aids the absorption of the minerals.

Happy hiking!

liz

#12

I sometimes carry Emergen-C powder for a boost of Potassium and Vitamin C. It’s lightweight, tastes good, and gives you a boost. Check it out!

http://www.emergenc.com/

JH

#13

This is a lightweight means of flavoring water, and the vitamin C and B content is squarely toward the megadose side of things (which is generally considered safe for water-soluble vitamins). However, the potassium (and sodium, and sugar) content of a single Emergen-C packet is fairly minimal. Thus, it is not all that useful as an electrolyte replacement product.

Frankly, I think the notion of electrolyte replacement is a spin-off of marathon running and other competitive events where food isn’t consumed for an extended period of time. Long-distance hikers, by contrast, can eat - better still, love to eat - and it’s hard not to eat your way out of an electrolyte deficiency in a hurry.

Regarding leg cramps, taking a cal/mag supplement (usu. 2-3 pills) before bed can help here, also with RLS and “random tics and twitches.”

blisterfree

#14

Maybe that perceived boost was the placebo effect?? I do sometimes carry dehydrated banana chips, and that’s gotta help with Potassium. Is Potassium lost during the dehydration process?

JH

#15

Funny you should mention the placebo effect. There’s a credible school of thought that says the placebo response is at least partly responsible in most cases for what we perceive as being a “positive bodily response to medicine” and that it’s quite impossible (as well as counterproductive) to separate the placebo response from the direct effects of the “healing agent.” The two walk inextricably hand in hand, such is the complex nature of mind-body interactions.

Does that apply also to a product like Emergen-C? Do our beliefs about the product - pro or con - reinforce its effect? Admittedly, I use it too, and carry it on long hikes along with an assortment of pills that some might say do little more than yield “expensive urine.” Others may take Ibuprofen for every minor ache and pain along the trail, and swear they couldn’t hike without it. Same with trekking poles, for that matter (which I use) - a decidedly recent invention in the long history of upright walking homo sapien.

What we believe works, works partly because we believe in it. That enthusiasm helps drive the outcome, just as it drives the rush to offer opinions and testimonials on this forum thread.

blisterfree

#16

Great reply Blisterfree. Seems like you have a lot of useful knowledge to share on health and nutrition issues.

What’s your take on protein consumption on trails? Do you have a specific approach? Also, when it comes to energy bars versus Snickers, do you have any opinions on the best way to go for the buck?

Thanks.

JH

#17

See

for a formal source.

Scroll down to page 4 and the table on page 5 for what the Army thinks soldiers need in terms of protein. Looks like for their nominal ~174 lb (79kg) guy, they recommend 91 grams per day (~1.15 grams / kg of body weight) as nominal, with a range of 63 to 119 grams. Read the link and footnotes - it’s good stuff (there’s also a section on electrolyte beverages).

I suspect the needs of a long distance hiker are in the same ballpark as a soldier engaged in heavy duty, hence the above reference.

As far as a specific approach to protein (assumes you’re a meat eater): Powdered milk with breakfast, lots of nuts, salami & cheese bagel sandwiches for lunch and canned / foil pack meat, be it chicken, tuna or whatever, added to dinner will go a long way toward your protein needs. Supplement with beef jerky as required.

Just be aware of how much protein you’re eating - pay attention to the labels and you’ll know how much you’re getting. Also, listen to your body. If you’re feeling weak, or craving something, it’s your bodys way of trying to tell you something.

Engery Bars vs. Snickers: Yes to both. Variety, variety, variety… Some folks can eat a snickers 3x a day for 4 months…not me.

Token Civilian

#18

I look forward to my daily lemonade electrolyte drink and can say that it really does help to perk me up and keep the leg cramps at bay (I’m still on the hike, taking a zero). If I don’t have a Crystal Light Hydration I drink a regular Crystal Light and toss in a pinch of Morton’s Lite Salt. Placebo or not, it’s a highlight of the day for me and something I crave every day.

The other day I saw king sized Snickers 10 for $10 at K-Mart. That’s a great deal as far as calories for the buck. Many protein bars taste awful and give me heartburn. I don’t like Snickers much, so this leg I plan to try king sized Nutrageous and see if that’s any better.

For real protein I bring tuna and fresh cheese.

Piper