Whether you go for a walk or a workout in the mountains these remain valid tips.
One of the most important and often underestimated things is the need to constantly supplement liquids.
During hiking activities there is a high sweating that could cause you to lose up to 2 liters of liquids per hour.
TIP: drink water every 20 minutes, better with electrolytes, especially sodium.
A part from hydration, endurance activities require energy intakes, especially if they are longer than 2.5h,
It is important to take fast-digestible foods every hour > Not all carbs are equal so which one to take? SLOW OR FAST? For hiking, in my opinion, it is still an open question and it is always exercise and intensity depending.
My recommendations are:
Before the excursion, breakfast must be rich of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the most important macronutrient to have in your excursion day because your body will be relying heavily upon these as a fuel source during the day. For example> Bowl of porridge with topping (jam, honey, etc..); fruit-based smoothie with oats; bread with jam or if you prefer savoury breakfast try some scrambled eggs with a toast of bread,
During the hike to be taken every hour or hour and a half
• Fresh fruit, banana.
• Dehydrated fruit (apple, pineapple, papaya), or raisins
• Bars with muesli or dried fruit.
• Dry biscuits (not creamy).
• Chocolate (also with hazelnuts).
For the after hike, if you are not close to dinner, take a 0.1% yogurt also with fruit or a chocolate with milk.
And for dinner, eat whatever you want you deserve it! Just make sure you include maybe a little extra protein to help muscle recovery,
As always, everything must be adapted and personalized to the person.