Question for athlete hunters

[3blade]

Background: My normal diet is around 3000 (very healthy) calories, 200 grams of protien, 4 l of water per day, with a 2 hr workout 6 days a week.

Having a lot of problems getting past day 3 on a hunt, with the associated increased expendature and decrease in cals/protein and especially with less water. Body is just not having it. Already tried high cal bars and adding butter to mountain house, but still get hangry and lose focus. Also eating less protein which should equal less water, but any decrease in water and my system gets very unhappy. Pretty dang hard to carry and consume 4 lbs of food and 5 liters of water per day (drinking+cooking) while hunting even when based out of a truck.

Any tips or ideas?

[Nyksta]

do more hiking year round. sounds like your body is in a rut of what your gym workout routine is and you are out of shape for normal hiking muscles. is your diet well rounded or are you all protein, because if protein is what your body uses for fuel then it is going to continue to use protein for fuel. make sure you are eating fats, fruits, and vegetables.

[Brbpuppy]

Wow you workout 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, good for you man. That's quite the commitment.

I would suggest supplementing with protein powder, unless you already are?

[1899b]

:)

[Prairiewolf]

I heard a quote once that went something like "Lifting alot of weights and expecting athleticism is like playing touch football with your kids and expecting them to run the west coast offense."

I have no idea how you're spending the 2 hrs in the gym (good for you regardless of how you feel hunting), but if you approach workouts like a bodybuilder then maybe there's your answer. I'm not going to push CrossFit on you but I've seen my field stamina improve significantly when I started CrossFit (or comparable workouts) and stopped just doing chest and biceps (again, not implying that's what you're doing).

Maybe the issues aren't around your training. Others have touted the benefits of higher fat intake and I'd agree (I'd stop short of a ketogenic approach, nor would I attempt to start that near / in hunting season). I like having a container of nuts to snack on during a hunt - lots of fatty calories and don't take up alot of space or weight.

Also, how much sleep do you normally get and does that change when you're in the field? My body quits on me when my sleep patterns are disturbed. I aim for 7 hrs/night normally (10pm to 5am). This is impossible for me to maintain on multi-day hunts (early starts, the odd bender, animal / field noises, and setting an alarm every few hours to stoke the stove so I don't freeze to death). A series of 2-3 hr intervals does not equal 7 hrs straight and your body will respond in kind.

[1899b]

:)

[JWCalgary]

Are you sprinting in the field? Perhaps it's your hunting technique?

I am no athlete in the field but am relatively in shape and don't have these issues . . . ie the typical packable foods sustain me . Curious as to how you are hunting . . . or is this burn of calories going from place to place quickly

[beaver hunter]

crossfit=headbands/knee socks/high fives....vomit

I train hard year round, except from September to December...

[shedcrazy]

As a person that trains several hours a day I get your concerns. I am not sure what your training style is (lifting vs cardio) but my time training is mostly cardio based and I burn thru a lot of cals and it's tough on long hunts during an active training plan.

I normally use the same products that get me thru my multi day events. High calories fluids like Hammer Perp, Tailwind, etc. that have cals and fluid. Advanced products have protein and carbs to help with those long efforts. High energy chews, bars, gels etc also help with high calories and light weight.

I would be looking at endurance sport products out there and finding something that works for you.

S

[artie]

Are you sleeping warm enough and or cold enough. If you are too cold you do not get a good sleep and if you are too warm you do not get a good sleep. I saw one fellow sleep all night in a very warm sleeping bag and when he got out of the bag in the morning he cooled down to fast and got hypothermia. good thing we had a truck close by and could warm him up. also do you have a good enough thermarest or sleeping pad. You could put a sleeping bag on top of the pad and then put the bag you are sleeping in on top of the combo.

[bessiedog]

Trail run 1 hour a day at least

Find the nastiest hills you can and do them

Don't stop doing the hills.

Your body needs to learn how to feed and water itself during those actions.

It'll adjust.

.... takes about 2 months.... shoot for 30k per week ( which really isn't much).

[FinnDawg]

How much cardio do you do in your workout?

[3blade]

Thanks for the responses. Some answers to questions asked....6 ft, 200 lbs, not super lean but definitely not much fat. Workouts: Upper body - hit all major muscles to stay even and shoulder work to keep things stable. Light 10 min on the bike to warm up/keep the legs loose.
Abs/core - 450 reps in sets of 25-60, various exercises, a little yoga. I know, I know, it's a lot, but I've been doing it for a long time and have no problems with it. moderate 20 min bike at the end.
Legs - high reps/low weights, 20 min of interval sprints on the bike.
Hike - 10k, 1000 ft elevation gain, 30 lb pack. Basically quad trails and ditches, make it as hard as I can but it's not technical by any stretch. Usually try to get 2 hikes per week through the spring/summer. Sounds like that's not enough.

Diet is really clean, tons of fruits and veggies, healthy carbs and fats, yogurt, meat and protein powder. That takes a big hit in the field as obviously it's difficult to keep fresh food, manage weight and volume, and just the time it takes to deal with it. I'm gonna do some numbers and see what the actual differences are, maybe I'm taking in less than I think. Will have to look into those endurance supplements.

Re: hunting style, i do everything from stand hunting with my bow to spot and stalk in the hills. I sleep like a rock, so I'm pretty sure that isn't it.

The water thing is a huge pain in the ass. That might just be something I have to deal with and manage more actively. not sure there is any way to decrease water requirements while staying healthy.

So do you guys stop for snack breaks all the time? it would seem the increased noise/movement would affect hunting success? Or perhaps that's just the cost of being out there and I shouldn't worry about it.

[sjemac]

I don’t eat or drink much when I am hunting. Whether it be in the duck blind or day after day in the mountains I just don’t feel the desire to eat or drink a lot. No snacks. Maybe a 500 mL bottle water carried with me. I never eat breakfast or lunch. I tend to refuel on a large dinner in the evening. I do carry a bag of sunflower seeds in the pocket that I continuously nip on all day though.

Perhaps you have gotten too used to continuous and regular meal times.

[bessiedog]

You got muscles

And they are demanding.

You can't just drink when your thirsty.

Get a lifestraw. 1000 liters.

Feed your muscles every 2 hours if exerting.

You need to lay off the upper...... wayyyyy more cardio.

[Chief16]

If you are taking creatine supplements that could be a reason for so much needed water (did not list supplements you are taking, if any). Creates more osmotic draw into muscles and therefore you need more water intake.

[Slicktricker]

I just did 22 days straight hunting opening till noon then 4- dusk work out 1-2 hours everyday huntings easier now that I lost 82 pounds though I can walk places I couldn't in recent years

[Xbolt7mm]

I didn't think you were allowed to hunt athletes!!

[muirsy]

As someone who’s 6’1 and closer to 220, I’ll give you some advice;

- Get a life straw or water pump. It’ll save you carrying all the extra weight. You can buy Gatorade powder for next to nothing at wal-mart to add to a water bottle if you need the extra calories/electrolytes.

- Throw ‘clean eating’ into the garbage when you’re out hunting. Calorie dense foods are king.

- Jerky and trail mix are relatively light and packed with calories as well as salt.

- Your dry meals should be lasagna and meat sauce or Mac and cheese. Don’t worry about getting in your veggies, not enough calories. They’re a waste of space.

- Pre-prepare oats in ziploc bags and add nuts/seeds/dried fruit as well as a scoop of protein powder. In the morning just add your water as needed.

- Get more comfortable being a little hungrier than at home. At the end of the day you’re 100% not going to get all the calories your body requires to maintain its current state. I lost 6lbs on a 4 day elk hunt, and I know guys who drop much more than that when they’re out for sheep. Your daily caloric output is going to far exceed your input when out on more physical hunts. Unless you have a Sherpa, there’s not much you can do about it.

Just my 2 cents!

J

[grouse_hunter]

I didn't think you were allowed to hunt athletes!!
My first thought! The track and field ones would be most fun!

[Xbolt7mm]

Ya,, they are qwik

[bsmitty27]

You can eat healthy with lots of Cal's and fats. Almonds, dried fruit oatmeal. As for water drink when your thirsty!

[58thecat]

I cross train,

Example of one routine,
run 1/2 mile ( speed increases every 100 yards )
15 pull ups
20 deep dips
100 crunches
Repeat for 6 sets
General all around fitness training

Spent many years in the army, 6 week courses, always said to the common person, see ya on day three, always went into these harsh courses 180lbs came out approx 150lbs body weight, everyone is different so you got to read your body, try different fuels, hydrate...if I was getting for a sheep hunt I would for 3 months prior to train specific to what I was going to expose myself to.

Some call it sport specific training, no need to train for a heavy bench press when your most demand will be cardio.

Just did the Spartan beast at sun peaks trained for it accordingly if I didn't I would have phased out 10 Klicks into the race...

Hope this helps.

Good luck, train smart, train hard and the results will show themselves when called upon!

[58thecat]

You can eat healthy with lots of Cal's and fats. Almonds, dried fruit oatmeal. As for water drink when your thirsty!

Drink when your thirty is too late, continues hydration is the key.

[TheDuchess]

I've found that my endurance has gone up, and hunger down on the ketogenic diet. High fat intake sustains me more and I feel way better day to day eating low carb. Nobody's body is the same, though. I definitely wouldn't recommend trying it this close to hunting season, your strength drops quite a bit for the first few months.

[1899b]

I've found that my endurance has gone up, and hunger down on the ketogenic diet. High fat intake sustains me more and I feel way better day to day eating low carb. Nobody's body is the same, though. I definitely wouldn't recommend trying it this close to hunting season, your strength drops quite a bit for the first few months.

I have been 100 percent keto for two years now. I will attest that at 45 years old I have the energy I had when I was 20. I do cardio at 4am every morning and weight train in the evening. Those that have never looked into it are missing out. I just received a thank you text the other day from a young lady I helped guide in regards to this way of eating for the last couple months. It's an absolute game changer.

[heretohunt]

The best way to get in shape for mountain hunting is by mountain hunting and hiking with a backpack.
As for food I don't try to save weight there. Just a lot of calories. You need to find water along the trail and drink as much as you can. If you know you're going in for a while it's not a bad idea to pack water in if there's none available and leave it in cashes. I bring Gatorade as mentioned before or juice crystals to flavour it up sometimes.
You can take potato chips and crunch them down to confetti and put them in a Ziploc bag. You can dehydrate hamburger meat and put it in separate bags for portions per day. I also carry and dried mashed potatoes and soup stock. You can be a bit creative there with a bit of spices.
A mountain trip is not the time to try to lose weight. It will happen naturally whether you like it or not.

[play.soccer]

This thread makes me feel sooooo out of shape. Damn.

[robson3954]

Depends on what you what to sacrifice. Your around town muscle or performance in the woods.
Take a look at any hardcore alpine climber. You'll never see a big muscled person. Lean muscle, fit and tough as nails. They don't get that way in the gym and can go for days and days in the worst imaginable conditions.

Big muscles need a lot of energy and oxygen. There's a reason marathon runners look the way they do and sprinters look the opposite lol.

IMO there's no replacement for just doing the activity you want to excel at. Sure you can supplement to get small gains in aspects of it, but nothing replaces experience and repetition.

[tchardy1972]

Lots of sprint training will help get those lungs in shape and also drop the extra midsection fat.

[BackPackHunter]

Depends on what you what to sacrifice. Your around town muscle or performance in the woods.
Take a look at any hardcore alpine climber. You'll never see a big muscled person. Lean muscle, fit and tough as nails. They don't get that way in the gym and can go for days and days in the worst imaginable conditions.

Big muscles need a lot of energy and oxygen. There's a reason marathon runners look the way they do and sprinters look the opposite lol.

IMO there's no replacement for just doing the activity you want to excel at. Sure you can supplement to get small gains in aspects of it, but nothing replaces experience and repetition.

This is so true ^^^



If you work out like you say you do.
Then my advice is , suck it up princess.

I do lot of solo mtn trips with full pack, most over 7 days
I don't work out, I've just been active my whole life

Your problem is mental, your body can handle a lot more then u think
Just ask yourself how bad do I want it ?

[1899b]

This is so true ^^^



If you work out like you say you do.
Then my advice is , suck it up princess.

I do lot of solo mtn trips with full pack, most over 7 days
I don't work out, I've just been active my whole life

Your problem is mental, your body can handle a lot more then u think
Just ask yourself how bad do I want it ?


Nailed it. Your body will only go as far as your mind takes it...

[Jayhad]

Try removing the Mountain House from your diet and try with real food, Mountain house is crap and I would doubt most that are in good shape wouldn't touch that stuff. It's full of sodium and many of the ingredients contribute to inflammation. As well the dehydrated food will pull moisture from your soul so you should up your intake of water.
Try Heathers Choice for quality food

With correct calorie counting you should have no problem getting to 1.5-2lbs of food per day, 4lbs is way too much

[freeride]

Totally agree on the mountain house. So much sodium, and that equals more water needed!

There is also overtraining that you have to look at. Listen to your muscles, if they are not doing what you want, maybe give them a week off to recoup. Its tough to do, but a reality sometimes.

[Fisherpeak]

Pork chops, Ichiban and 40 creek. Never failed me yet. And get out of the truck for a pee and a stretch from time to time.

[getatmewolf]

Ive been doing this for almost two years now, lost a pile of weight, eat like a king and never have that "so hungry id eat a horses arse" feeling all the while I have continuous energy. The fats are obviously very energy dense per ounce so you have to pack way less. I don't train as much as I should but have no problem with a pack on my back all day. Full Ketogenic can be a challenge, I find I'm always borderline since I eat a pile of vegetables and the odd starchy tuber. By no means an athlete but I'm way more confident in my abilities and find myself going further than id of thought a year or two ago.

[fast_pass88]

No one has asked you your meal plan yet, and if your hangry by day 3 it's probably got to do with food.
What do you have for breakfast, lunch/snacks, and supper?
And what does your typical hunting/hiking day look like? How far, how high and how long?

[58thecat]

Nailed it. Your body will only go as far as your mind takes it...

But don't let your mind push your body to the point you become useless...or don't heal for months on end...it's a balancing act, mind, body and soul.

Trust me...this will catch up to you...not fun.

[lmtada]

This is good thread. I was working out this year, unfortunately was never drawn for anything. I will Continue working out, However I am not up to 6x week. I find 4-5x week, works for me. My body needs to recover, as I definitely feel tired when I do back to back days. Plan more cardio/resistance this winter (xc ski, winter mtn bike, treadmill). Need be stronger for the climbs packing a load.

[TheIceTitan]

It's pretty simple: you can't be a bodybuilder and an endurance athlete nor can you be ultra-lean and a powerlifter.

The stressors involved in hunting, particularly in the mountains or hilly terrain, most closely resemble mountaineering, which can be broken down as a marathon with a strength component -- long distances, pack weight, and elevation. This will put a functional emphasis on the lower body at the expense of the rest of the physique. The energetic/oxygen demands of muscle result in catabolism in endurance situations.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61K2oluRBpk/UzQIepAgyuI/AAAAAAAAOSk/ERQcQ57VumU/s1600/5259-768087.png

[covey ridge]

I think some diets create a dependency on frequent feeding. Its all about regulating insulin. I have read that many athletes including endurance athletes have switched to higher fat type diets. I hate labels but the most popular of these are Paleo and Ketogentic diets. Both strive to create a body which burns fats and keytones instead of carbs. Once your body is converted into burning fat one can go without feeding or fast without hunger. What gets you away from fat burning is carbs but on a low fat diet excess protein will be converted to carbs.
So in a nut shell if you want to go longer times without hunger go high fat, low carb and very moderate protein.

Another thing that might cause hunger is excessive workouts.

[Don_Parsons]

I agree with booting that healthy crap and get going on the junk food that will keep your inner fire burning at night.

Change it up, mix it up and have at it.
If your body is pooped out, that is good since its suppose to tell you this.

Go your own pace, slow down and relax.

If you really want a work out, buy a farm. That way you can work out from Sun up to Sun down.

Don

[h&t]

As someone who’s 6’1 and closer to 220, I’ll give you some advice;

- Get a life straw or water pump. It’ll save you carrying all the extra weight. You can buy Gatorade powder for next to nothing at wal-mart to add to a water bottle if you need the extra calories/electrolytes.

- Throw ‘clean eating’ into the garbage when you’re out hunting. Calorie dense foods are king.

- Jerky and trail mix are relatively light and packed with calories as well as salt.

- Your dry meals should be lasagna and meat sauce or Mac and cheese. Don’t worry about getting in your veggies, not enough calories. They’re a waste of space.

- Pre-prepare oats in ziploc bags and add nuts/seeds/dried fruit as well as a scoop of protein powder. In the morning just add your water as needed.

- Get more comfortable being a little hungrier than at home. At the end of the day you’re 100% not going to get all the calories your body requires to maintain its current state. I lost 6lbs on a 4 day elk hunt, and I know guys who drop much more than that when they’re out for sheep. Your daily caloric output is going to far exceed your input when out on more physical hunts. Unless you have a Sherpa, there’s not much you can do about it.

Just my 2 cents!

J

I second the above. I was with a bunch of pro athletes in my military boot camp. The biggest guys suffered the most. Guys who do a lot of RT usually are not good with endurance. Eat lots of carbs, keep your glycogen stores full. Eat things like pasta at night and 'fast' carbs during the day.
At 8000 m the only thing climbers can eat sometimes is cookies.

[1899b]

Regardless of what your intent or goals are, exercise is beneficial and the absolute form of self respect. You only have one true home and vehicle. That is your body. Treat it and train it accordingly for long term reliability and efficiency.

[Unregistered user]

Don't listen to the naysayers. Dude. Sometimes, alcohol is the answer.

[Tbone_123]

No disrespect, but you sound like a body builder not an all around athlete.
You need to train up a little more like a soldier, not a calorie hording weight lifter to achieve what you want. Forget the bull**** holywood image in your head of Arnold running around the jungle in Predator, all jacked up and more than capable. It complete horse ****.

[1899b]

No disrespect, but you sound like a body builder not an all around athlete.
You need to train up a little more like a soldier, not a calorie hording weight lifter to achieve what you want. Forget the bull**** holywood image in your head of Arnold running around the jungle in Predator, all jacked up and more than capable. It complete horse ****.

There is definitely a fine line for sure. You still can have decent muscle mass and good cardio though. You just need to train for that cardio and get that resting heart rate down. We are men after all. Nothing wrong with looking like one that has some power.