Let?s start with some definitions:
- Winter sport is a sport commonly played during the winter season on snow or ice.
- The temperature of the winter sports performed outdoors ranges from - 25 to + 10? C, while the temperature of those performed indoors averages 5? to 10? C.
Snow and ice are better as you get higher. This means training and competition for many winter sport athletes commonly requires some degree of exposure to higher altitude often 2,600 - 3,500m. The most important nutritional factors to consider for winter sport are the cumulative effect of cold and altitude - leading to increased energy expenditure, greater reliance on blood glucose and muscle glycogen, and exacerbated fluid loss.
Any form of exertion in the cold may increase energy requirements. Living and/or training at altitude increases your need for adequate iron stores in order for your blood to adapt. In addition, fluid requirements are higher in the cold compared to temperate environments. Why? Because cold air contains less water than warmer air, so cold exposure leads to a small but significant increase in respiratory water loss ? each time you breath out, you become a little more dehydrated. In addition, cold temperatures can result in an impaired thirst response, which means you don?t realise you need to drink as often as you should.
It?s worth bearing in mind that for international cross country events longer than 15 kilometres, sport drinks are provided for all athletes ? so if you plan to ski or board more than 15 k in a day, you should be making sure you have a similar level of provision that is not just fluid but also glucose and protein based.
