Latest / Fit for Hiking / Ep. 140 How to Prepare for High Altitude Hiking
Transcript
- Hi, my name is Brady and I'm a long time fitness professional and midwest girl turned mountain living hiking addict. And combining my knowledge of fitness and passion for hiking, I've helped hundreds of women get lean and strong for the trails. Think of this as your one stop shop for both education and inspiration on all things female wellness, trail talk and adventure. Hiking, female metabolism, motherhood, nutrition, travel and fitness are all topics you'll hear discussed here. If you are outdoorsy and active, looking to level up your health, unlock your potential, and become inspired to live your most vibrant life, you're in the right place. You're listening to the fit for hiking podcast. What's up you guys? Welcome back to the show. I am finally back in Colorado after a month of travel, and it's kind of bittersweet to be back. It's good because, you know, you can get back into your routines. Obviously, we love life here in Colorado, but there's something so special about Guatemala the culture, the people, the like, togetherness of the lifestyle there. It's so community oriented, which I just love. So it is a bit hard to come back, but we're good. We're getting back into our routines. And today I want to talk about high altitude hiking. This is something that became a very big part of my life when I moved to Colorado, because I grew up in Indiana, which is the opposite of high altitude. So going from sea level to, you know, living at a very high altitude and then hiking at even higher altitudes was a big shock. And, um, you know, even just. Moving to Denver. Like, that's not even a crazy high altitude. But my body was so not used to it that I remember my first few workouts, even really affecting me to the point where I had to sit down and try not to literally pass out because it was such a change, working out at altitude versus working out at sea level. So let's talk about how to prepare for high altitude hiking. So maybe you do live somewhere that's lower elevation and you have a big hike planned for this year. And you want to make sure that you're prepared, right? Or even if you live somewhere that's like a moderately high altitude, but you're going somewhere even higher, this is still going to be important for you. Okay, so imagine you're halfway up the trail. The views are incredible. Suddenly, your legs start to feel heavy, you get a really bad headache and you cannot keep your breathing under control. That is really what it starts to feel like when you get to a high, high altitude. You can also get really sleepy or start to feel sick to your stomach. Okay, so hiking at high elevation is a totally different ballgame and it's important to be prepared. You have less oxygen available with every single breath you take. Your body is working harder just to do the same things. Even experienced hikers can really, really struggle with this. Okay, so imagine that you're going somewhere hiking in Colorado or a really high area of, you know, maybe like Mount Whitney or you're going international and hiking Mount Kilimanjaro or something like that, you want to be prepared for the altitude changes. So in this episode, we're going to talk about how altitude affects your body, how to train before the trip, how to acclimate gear and nutrition and safety tips. Okay, so before we talk about the prep, we need to really understand what is happening to your body at altitude. So first of all let's talk about the different altitude categories. So high altitude is typically considered 8000 to 12,000ft. Oxygen is roughly 25 to 30% lower than at sea level. I actually live at 8000ft you guys. So even just coming back from Guatemala, which is at like 5000ft, where my parents live in Antigua, it still feels noticeably different. It's so much drier, it's harder to get back into workouts. Right. You notice it when you get above 8000ft. Very high altitude is categorized by 12,000ft to 18,000ft. You're going to really notice harder breathing here. This is where it starts to get real. This is why hiking 14 zero zero zero foot peaks is such an impressive feat because it gets really, really hard to exert yourself at higher altitudes. So these effects that you're going to experience are going to be like faster breathing, higher heart rate, fatigue, slower pace. Your legs often just kind of feel like lead, like you feel like you're walking through really thick mud and you just cannot move faster. Um, so that's definitely something that you will experience even if you are trained properly. You're going to experience this at high altitude. So really all you can do is be prepared and do the prep that you can and know that you still might experience some of those symptoms. Okay. A lot of people underestimate altitude because, like, maybe the trail is not even that long or they're really in shape or you do a ton of hiking back home. Um, but elevation can make even short hikes challenging and challenging, even, like, the most experienced and really fit hikers. Okay, so let's talk through altitude sickness. This is something that you want to be aware of. Altitude illness can occur when the body can't adapt quickly enough to the lower oxygen levels. So this is something that you might experience called acute mountain sickness. And the common symptoms are headache nausea dizziness fatigue loss of appetite trouble sleeping. So this is usually appearing 6 to 24 hours after arriving at altitude. So kind of like what I experienced when I visited Denver for the first time. Um, it's just kind of crazy and some people will experience it more than others. I've noticed in hosting people here in Colorado so many times. Um, there are some visitors who fare really well with altitude and they're not too affected and others get really, really sick, especially if you are going to higher altitudes quickly. So flying versus driving can even make a difference. Or if you show up in a place like Denver and then immediately go to a really high altitude on a hike or to a ski town, that can also really affect people. Um, so that's just something to be aware of. And if you start to have really bad symptoms and you're able to get to a lower elevation and it will help. So let's talk about how to actually acclimate. So this is going to allow your body to adapt better when you acclimate the right way. Okay. So a rule of thumb is that you want to ascend slowly. If you go up to high altitude too quickly, that's when you can get in trouble, especially if your body is not used to it. So a general rule of thumb is that after 8000ft, you want to go no more than 1000 to 1500 feet per day. Okay. And if you can, you want to actually sleep at high altitude to help you acclimate faster. So you want to get some sleep and then ascend more after that sleep because that's going to allow your body to acclimate. And now this is not always realistic, right? If you're coming to Colorado to do a 14 or as an example, you might not be able to do that. But if you can give yourself a few days to acclimate at a moderate altitude before going straight up to 14,000ft. Okay, so another strategy is to climb high. Sleep low, so hike higher during the day and then return to a lower altitude to sleep. So an example of this might be maybe the hike goes all the way up to like 13,000ft or something. But you're going to camp closer to 10,000ft okay. So get up early, do your high altitude hiking during the day, but return to a lower altitude to sleep. This helps stimulate adaptation without overloading the body. And also it's really hard to get good quality sleep at crazy high altitudes. Okay, so that's something to think about to. Another strategy is implementing rest days. So this would be only applicable for like multi-day hikes. Right. So maybe day one you arrive at 8000ft. Day two you hike to 10,000ft. Day three you take a rest day and you kind of just enjoy your base camp there. And then day four you move higher again. This is something that you see in people who hike Everest or even just Everest base camp. You have to go up and then come back down, or take rest days and not do it all at once, because your body just cannot handle that. So if you want to feel your best and not get hit with crippling sickness at high altitudes, these are some strategies that can definitely help. And number four is that you really need to focus on hydration in a in a way that you never have before. Okay. Um, because altitude is going to cause increased breathing, more fluid loss. You are going to dehydrate way faster. So you're going to need 3 to 4l of water per day when you're up at high altitudes. Okay. So make sure you are so, so prepared when it comes to hydration. All right, let's talk about training before the trip. So training is going to improve your endurance. It can't fully simulate altitude right. I get this question a lot. No. Nothing's going to really simulate the altitude other than if you were to wear, like a very, um, you know, high tech oxygen deprivation mask. These things do exist for like, high level athletes who are going to be competing at high altitudes but don't live at high altitudes. But the average person is not going to have a mask like that, right? So you can't fully simulate it, but you can still train your body to make this a little bit easier on yourself and control what you can. Right? You can't control your altitude when you're training, but you can control the actual training aspect and physically preparing your body for what you're going to be taking on with not only cardiovascular training, but also strength training. Okay, so the cardio is going to be important for oxygen efficiency. Some good activities to focus on would be trail running, incline walks, whether that's outside or on a treadmill and the stair master stair climbing. Okay, so you do want to include long, steady state efforts, not just short hit style workouts. Think about like, how are you going to mimic what you're about to do out on the trails? You don't want to just be doing hit style or fast quick, you know, ten minute workouts because you're going to be hiking for hours and hours or days if you're doing a backpacking trip. Okay, so you have to get used to challenging yourself cardiovascular for long durations. So you want to implement this in your training protocols, especially leading up to your trip at least a couple times a week. Now let's talk strength training. I cannot emphasize this enough. A lot of people are not doing enough strength training to prep for hard hikes, especially if you're going way high up in altitude. Okay, so this is going to be really important for steep climbs. You want to focus on a couple different muscle groups your quads your glutes your hamstrings your core and your back okay. Why is back important? Sometimes people think why would I need to exercise my back? You're probably going to be carrying a heavy pack, right? If you have poor posture that's going to affect your pain, you're going to have more back pain. It's not going to feel good. So you want to make sure that you're not just focusing on the legs but also core and back. So some important just general exercises that you can be doing. And there are so many different variations of this. You definitely want to look more into this. If you have not started training or really implemented proper training for your hikes, butt squats and squat variations, single leg type of squats like Bulgarians, split squats, things like that. Step down's, step ups, deadlifts, hip thrusts, row variations, calf raises, back extensions, lunges and weighted hikes. And those are just some like general exercises. Like I said, there are so many different varieties of those that you can do to get the best possible results. Um, if you actually go on Instagram, you can either message me or you can message, um, the fit underscore for hiking Instagram page. Just say checklist and we'll send you a checklist with some of these exercises in case I listed them off too quickly. And you need more of a visual, but you definitely do not want to skip on the strength training, especially the single leg core and back training. So so important. You also want to make sure your hips and glutes are strong so that your knees are not taking the brunt of the impact. When you are training. This is going to not only affect how well you can actually enjoy the hike and and actually have a good time and not be miserable. Your recovery afterward, right? You want to be able to say yes to these things with confidence. And a lot of that has to start with your training and prepping accordingly. So especially if you're doing a really challenging hike, a multi-day trek, something like that, you want to give yourself several months, okay, of of really good training, doing these things consistently every single week. I recommend strength training at least three times per week, and doing the longer, steady state cardio at least two times a week if you have a big hike coming up. And another good thing you can do is practice hikes. So try to simulate the conditions of a true hike. So use a weighted backpack. You could even get on a StairMaster with a weighted backpack. Um try to get some elevation gain if possible. This might not be possible for you based on where you live, but if you can do it, make the drive that's going to just make your hiking experience. When you are at higher altitude so much better. And then those long duration walks and hikes, um, if you're not spending lots of time on your feet in your training, it's going to feel so hard and miserable when you're out with a heavy pack on at high altitude and you've only been doing, you know, like 20 minutes at a time, you have to think about preparing your body accordingly so that you can really enjoy this experience. Um, okay, so let's get into some gear for high altitude hiking. So there is a layering system that you're going to want to think about because weather at high altitudes can be so unpredictable. You guys, I've been in so many really prickly situations where the hike started out 70 degrees, sunny, lovely, and then an hour later you're inhale and then it turns to snow. Then it turns to sideways rain. Right. It just is like it can change on a dime. A storm can roll through and you can end up in a precarious situation. So you always want to make sure, especially the higher you're going, that you have the appropriate gear for the weather to turn quickly. And you can handle that. So one is you want a base layer. This is going to be moisture wicking. Number two, you want an insulating layer that's for warmth. And three you need a shell. So that's going to be something that can handle wind and rain. It needs to be able to protect you. Because if you soak through something that's not handling um, like moisture well or rain, well, then you are going to be miserable, especially when the temperature drops. Okay. And temperatures can drop really drastically above treeline, so you need to be prepared for that. I've learned that the hard way. Unfortunately multiple times. Let's also talk through sun protection. So UV radiation increases 10 to 12% every 1000m. So you got to take sun protection seriously. You can get so so burned at high altitudes even if it's cloudy or overcast. Okay. So the essentials are going to be sunglasses, sunscreen. I would just bring some with you so you can reapply. And having a sun hat. And if you can have like a good layer, especially if it's if it's warm out and you're like, oh, I'll just rock a tank top or something, just consider bringing a sun shirt, because otherwise you can get very badly burned. Navigation. This is something that you want to take very seriously. It's very important above the tree line because you probably will lose service. And like I said, you can end up in some bad situations. So you want to make sure that you either have a map and a compass or some sort of GPS device that can operate when you are offline or, you know, don't have service. Okay. But you do need to make sure that it's charged well enough. So just in general, I like to do both because you never know if somebody loses a charge, you don't want to be caught unaware and get lost or be in a really dangerous situation and not able to contact someone. Hydration gear you can either do like a bladder, so something that is in your backpack and detached for easy access. You can just kind of sip on the nozzle there or you can bring water bottles. Those tend to maybe be a little bit heavier, but if you can get some lightweight ones too. Um, water filtration if applicable. This only will apply if you're going to be hiking somewhere that actually has, uh, you know, streams of water that you can access. And that just helps you not have to carry so much, especially for multi-day hikes. This becomes crucial because otherwise you're carrying so, so much water. And if you don't carry much water, you do run the risk of losing, um, of running out. Right. And as we've already talked about, hydration is so, so crucial at high altitude. So this is something you want to take seriously. And then electrolyte supplements. If I'm going to be hiking in high altitudes I almost always bring an electrolyte pack for either during the hike or after to replenish those electrolytes. Okay. Let's talk a little bit about nutrition and how it's going to be affected. At high altitude your body burns more energy at altitude okay. So that's something that you need to understand. You're probably going to be hungrier more frequently as far as what you should be eating. You want to have extra carbohydrates. That's recommended because they require less oxygen to metabolize than fats. Okay. So you want quick energy, quick hits of energy. So things like energy bars, oatmeal trail mix, things like that. Okay. Just things that you're not going to have to worry about them going bad, but you can get quick hits of energy if you're able to bring like fruit or even dried fruit. Those are good options too. Small, frequent meals often your appetite can go down as a result of being at high altitude, even though you need food more frequently. I experience that where I'm like, I'm not even hungry, but I know that I need to eat, so bring just some snacks. You don't need to be having these massive meals, but have enough snacks on hand. You don't want to be running out when you are out in the wilderness and then avoiding alcohol. Obviously, if you're on a hike, you're probably not gonna be drinking alcohol. But even just leading up to your hike, you want to avoid alcohol because it can worsen your dehydration, disrupt your sleep, and just also increase risk of that altitude sickness. Okay, so just plan to taper off any alcohol use leading up to your hike. Um, safety tips and warning signs. We don't want to ever ignore altitude symptoms. So some red flags that are like, okay, might need to get to lower altitude or try again with this hike another time would be severe headaches, persistent nausea, loss of balance, or shortness of breath even when you are at rest. Okay, so some things that can help keep you safe is having a hiking buddy, especially if you are new to high altitude hiking. Have someone that's with you. The last thing you want to have happen is you're out alone and you start feeling like crap and you don't have anybody to rely on. Right? Turn around if symptoms worsen and carry some emergency gear. So like first aid kits, hydration, proper hydration, actually having, um. The means to contact someone, right? Like we talked about the the GPS that you can also send messages even if you are offline. That's so important. You do not want to be unable to contact emergency services if there is an emergency. Okay, so have a little kit on hand. It's worth caring. Okay. In conclusion, you guys high altitude hiking can seriously give you some of the best views, the most rewarding hikes. Some of my favorite hikes I have ever done were at high altitudes, and I cannot recommend it enough. But you really need to prepare so that you can actually enjoy them. Because I've done it both ways. I've done the high altitude hikes where I was not prepared, and when I've been prepared, it was a thousand times more enjoyable. So set yourself up for success here, especially if you're new to this sort of thing. You're a new hiker. You've never hiked at high altitudes. You've never done the multi-day treks at high altitudes, then definitely, um, you know, take all of this to heart and start implementing so you can feel your absolute best. Like I mentioned before, if you want a checklist of some really helpful exercises to start implementing for your training, you can DMs checklist at the Fit Underscore for Hiking Instagram page, and I'll send those over to you. And if you're training for a bucket list hike or just want to improve your hiking performance in general, and be able to say yes to all the adventures that come your way. Then definitely apply for Mountain Metabolic Coaching. This is our bread and butter. This is exactly what we help our clients with. Not only the hiking prep, the outdoor prep, but we also work on body recomposition, improving overall fitness and strength, health habits, all of that so that it's more of a holistic approach and experience to give you the best possible results. Feel your best on and off the trails so you can apply at the link in the show notes. And when we have some availability in space, we will chat with you about the program and see if it's a good fit for you. All right you guys, thank you so much for tuning in. I hope that this is giving you a helpful snapshot of how you can approach your training for a high altitude hikes, and I will chat with you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning into this episode of the fit for hiking podcast. As always, I hope it leaves you feeling inspired and informed on how to take your health and adventure into your own hands. For more content like this. Be sure to follow along with my daily posts at Ponytail Underscore. On a trail that's ponytail underscore on a trail. You can also stay up to date on my new episodes being released at Fit Underscore for hiking, and find more free resources at ponytail on Etrailer.com. Happy and healthy trails.