El Dorado County Search & Rescue

You've been on the trail all morning. You're tired and getting a little clumsy. You're also starting to lose your concentration, not to mention your good humor. To top it off, you can feel a headache in your future. Boy, you think, what I wouldn't give for a big chocolate eclair, a cup of coffee, and an aspirin.

Not so fast. If what the scientists now say is true, you probably need water more than stimulants or medication. Drinking plenty of water on the trail increases your endurance. It also helps your alertness, and your good judgment. Conversely, not drinking enough water makes you tired, irritable and prone to headaches.

Moreover, when the scientists say water, they mean water -- accept no substitutes. Not Gator-aid, Kool-aid, cola, colada, Koala, Perrier, Pepsi or anything else. The reason is that everything but water has to be digested before it can be absorbed. Coffee and tea are especially bad because they are diuretics -- they drain our bodies of water just when we need it most.

There is one exception: a mixture of one tablespoon of sugar in a quart of water actually gets absorbed faster than plain water. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt for electrolyte replacement, if you like.

If it's a hot day, chug as much water as you can hold before you hit the trail. The more you can carry in your body, the longer you can stretch the supply in your canteens.

On cold days, water also keeps us warm, or so it would seem, because doctors now say that hypothermic people are, almost by definition, dehydrated.

To sum it up, the most important equipment we carry may not be in our packs, but in our canteens.

So now that we know what to drink for endurance, what should we eat? Sorry, but you'll have to forget about that chocolate eclair. Sugar foods are a poor choice for endurance. Although they give you a 10 or 20 minute burst of quick energy, they fade away suddenly, leaving you bushed. Sugar is like putting paper in your wood stove. It lights instantly but burns out fast.

According to the experts, a good high altitude endurance diet is mostly starchy foods – "complex carbohydrates" as they're called. This includes pasta, potatoes, bread, chips, granola bars and cereal. Starch is like a pine log: it lights rapidly and burns brightly, but needs replenishment often.

Only a small part of an endurance diet should be protein and fat. Cheese, steak, eggs, nuts and so on aren't digested as easily as starches. Protein and fat provide a lot of calories, but those calories are harder to convert into real energy. Sort of like oak logs: harder to light and not as bright, but they'll burn at a low level all night long.

One last but important thing: altitude dulls your feelings of hunger and thirst, so keep sipping and munching throughout the day, whether you feel like it or not.