Energy Bars or GORP in your mountaineering Essentials? Answers!

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Here are the test questions

What's wrong with GORP? Here's the answer!

What's "wrong" is that GORP and "trail mix" are mostly FAT. We need to replace the burned carbohydrates not the fat. We need to eat ClifBars or fig Newton cookies or bananas, etc.

We all carry plenty of fat; some of us carry several months supply of fat. The fat is available to the muscles through the bloodstream from fat stores all over the body. We can not store enough of the carbohydrates needed (in the form of glycogen in our big muscles) to keep us from "hitting the wall" or "bonking" and grinding to a halt. Humans can not metabolize fat efficiently without the chemical help of stored glycogen.

NAME THE THREE PRIMARY FOODS CONSUMED BY HUMANS
1. Carbohydrates, both complex (bread) and simple (sugars)
2. Protein, from fish, foul, cows, corn and beans
3. Fats, impossible to not eat any, some is essential
NAME THE TWO PRIMARY ENERGY FUELS USED IN MUSCLE CONTRACTION
1. Carbos, simple or complex, processed to muscle glycogen
2. Fats, stored in active cells all over and thru the body
DURING A REASONABLY WELL TRAINED MOUNTAINEER'S SIX HOUR HIGH LEVEL AEROBIC CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT HOOD, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF EACH OF THESE NUTRIENTS WOULD BE BURNED BY THE MUSCLES?
1. 30% glycogen (processed carbohydrates - stored in the muscles)
2. Fat, 70% (stored throughout the body, from excess carbos, proteins and ingested fats)
WHICH OF THESE TWO PRIMARY FUELS MAY RUN OUT DURING THIS CLIMB?
1. Glycogen (carbos), stored in the muscles, after about 2 to 3 hours
ASSUMING THAT THIS CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT OF MT HOOD WILL REQUIRE THE EXPENDITURE OF 3,000 CALORIES ABOVE OUR CLIMBER'S NORMAL DAILY EXPENDITURE OF 3,000, HOW MANY CALORIES OF CARBOHYDRATE SHOULD BE REPLACED (INGESTED) EACH HALF HOUR AFTER THE FIRST HALF HOUR? SHOW YOUR WORK.
1. 3,000cal X 30% = 900cal / 10-1/2hrs = 90cal plus
3,000cal X 30% = 900cal / 48-1/2hrs = 19cal = say 100cal
WOULD COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES OR WOULD SIMPLE SUGARS BEST FUEL THIS CLIMBER'S SIX HOUR CONTINUING HIGH LEVEL AEROBIC EFFORT? WHY?
1. Both simple sugars and complex carbohydrates should be ingested
2. The assimilation of simple sugars (processing to glycogen) is quicker, easier and the complex carbohydrates meter into the blood stream over time, as digested.
WHAT’S THIS ABOUT INGESTING PROTEIN WITH YOUR CARBOS?
1. Studies have shown that the addition of protein facilitates the conversion of carbos to glycogen
WHAT'S WRONG WITH USING PEANUTS AND M&M'S, SWISS CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE, TO FUEL THIS SIX HOUR SUMMIT ATTEMPT?
1. These high fat foods supply almost no needed glycogen
GIVE AT LEAST TWO REASONS WHY IT IS NECESSARY TO HYDRATE EACH HALF HOUR DURING THIS SIX HOUR CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT
1. To replace water lost from the blood - sweat/breath/etc
2. To avoid thickened blood from water diverted to the gut
ASSUMING A 1 AM START IN JULY, 1996, HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD OUR CLIMBER CARRY? HOW MUCH WOULD THIS WATER WEIGH?
1. 2 ½ quarts, I guess
2. At 2 lbs/quart, 5 lbs to start out
CAN FAT BE CONVERTED TO MUSCLE GLYCOGEN (SUGAR)?
1. No! That's the key to all of this stuff
IS THE CONVERSION OF PROTEIN (MUSCLE) TO GLYCOGEN AN EFFICIENT PROCESS?
1. No! And it may eat up the little enzymes and stuff you've been training so hard in your long slow runs/hikes/climbs/bike rides/etc
HOW MANY CALORIES OF ENERGY ARE CONTAINED IN A POUND OF FAT?
1. 3,500 and that's a fact!
IF OUR CLIMBER ATE NO FAT, HOW MUCH FAT WEIGHT WOULD HE LOSE?
1. Less than one pound!

(REMEMBER, IT TAKES A CONDITIONED CLIMBER FOUR MORE HOURS TO DESCEND FROM THE SUMMIT OF HOOD AT A COST OF 1500 MORE CALORIES!)

--On Belay! Bob Speik
Copyright© 2000-2007 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.