Nutrition Edge

Dust off your snowboard and skis and grab your gear - the snow is falling! In this article you get the skinny on the not-to-be-missed Winter Dew Tour and the nutrition and hydration basics you'll need as you head back to the slopes.

Winter Dew Tour Coming Your Way

There's no better way to celebrate the season than at the Winter Dew Tour. More than 400,000 spectators and 75 million viewers have made the Dew Tour the most successful action sports series ever!

Imagine big-name athletes competing in exciting snowboard and freeski events, live music with top bands, and the totally cool interactive Festival Village - all packed into a long weekend. That's the Winter Dew Tour and it's touching down this season at three incredible destinations:

• Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge, Colorado, December 18-20, 2009
• Snowbasin, Ogden, Utah, January 15-18, 2010
• Mount Snow, West Dover, Vermont, February 5-7, 2010

Men and women will compete in both snowboard and freeski. Events include superpipe and slopestyle.

Rub elbows with the best in the business. Winter Dew Tour athletes include:

• Hannah Teter - snowboard (superpipe and slopestyle)
• Tanner Hall - freeski (superpipe and slopestyle)
• Shaun White - snowboard (superpipe)
• Simon Dumont - freeski (superpipe and slopestyle)
• Sammy Carlson - freeski (superpipe and slopestyle)

Friday night concerts at all three events feature top headliners, and the award-winning Dew Tour Festival Village is home to autograph signings with premier athletes, video gaming, ski demos, and much more.

So grab your snowboard or skis, and experience the Winter Dew Tour. If you can't be there in person, catch the action on NBC, USA, and MTV2.

Prep for the Elements
As fun as they are, skiing and snowboarding can be unforgiving without adequate preparation. Brutal cold, harsh winds, high altitude, and icy conditions can make a day on the hill or in the backcountry extra challenging. A single run down the face, through the course, or in the halfpipe won't do much to deplete muscle fuel or fluid levels. But long days on the mountain without proper nutrition and hydration can lead to more bone-jarring spills than you're used to. The right fuel and fluids can mean the difference between a successful run and a date with the doctor.

Before Snowboarding/Skiing
If you expect to go all out, all day, you have to hydrate and fuel your body the right way. Here are the basics, to help you maximize your concentration and energy.

Hydrate first
Drink 2 cups (16 oz, or the amount in an average-sized water bottle) of water or sports drink about 2-3 hours before you head out; drink more, as needed, as you get closer to your first run. This will help you make up for any fluid deficits from previous sessions on the slopes and will keep you sharp on your skis or board.

Check fluids
Not sure whether you've had enough fluids? The color of your urine is a useful indicator. A light-yellow color means you're adequately hydrated. If your urine is darker, more like the color of apple juice, that's typically a sign that more fluids are needed. Remember, by the time you're thirsty, your body is already in the early stages of dehydration.

Fill your tank
To ensure that you're starting your day on the slopes adequately fueled, consume some healthy, high-carb foods and beverages 2-4 hours before you start snowboarding or skiing. Avoid heavy, slow-to-digest foods, as they can lead to stomach upset when you are going all out. If you're heading out early in the morning and don't have time for a full meal, don't skip eating entirely. The following are some great fueling options when time is a factor - also if your destination is the backcountry and you're packing your own fuel:

• Trail mix
• Dried fruit
• Fresh fruit
• Bagel
• Dry cereal or granola
• Pretzels mixed with almonds
• Wheat or rice crackers
• Small sandwich
• PowerBar Performance Energy bar
• PowerBar Fruit Smoothie Energy bar
• PowerBar Energy Bites
• PowerBar Gel Blasts energy chews
• PowerBar Gel
• PowerBar Nut Naturals Energy bar
• PowerBar Harvest Energy bar
• PowerBar Triple Threat Energy bar

During Snowboarding/Skiing
Whether you're letting it all hang out in the halfpipe, navigating the face of a mountain, or carving big mountain lines, here's how to stay hydrated and keep your energy stores full.

• Sip fluids regularly. To stay hydrated while boarding or skiing, take in some fluids while waiting for your next run. Dehydration can make you dizzy and weak, so you need to replace what you sweat out. This generally requires about 2-3 cups of water or sports drink every hour during exercise. A good way to do this is to take a few gulps every 15 minutes or so.
• Don't get thirsty. You might think that thirst will signal you when to drink fluids, but that's not the case. Thirst is a notoriously poor indicator of your fluid needs during exercise, especially in the cold at altitude. By the time you feel thirsty, you've already lost too much fluid, and your performance in the powder is already suffering.
• Choose fluids and fuel wisely. What you hydrate with, and whether to refuel or not when skiing or snowboarding, depends on the duration and intensity of your sessions. Light sessions of less than one hour generally do not require refueling, and you can rehydrate with water. For longer sessions, and when you're doing lots of hiking in deep powder or uphill, a sports drink containing carbs and sodium, such as PowerBar Endurance sports drink, is a better option.
• Try a gel. Another option for rehydrating and refueling during longer days on your board or skis is to consume an energy gel and chase it with plain water. Make sure to select an energy gel that provides sodium along with carbohydrates, such as PowerBar Gel. These gels are designed to be consumed every 20-45 minutes during exercise and they provide the carbs and sodium of a sports drink.
• Have refueling options. If you get hungry for something more solid during long days on the hill, Performance Energy bar, Fruit Smoothie Energy bar, Harvest Energy bar, Nut Naturals Energy bar, Triple Threat Energy bar, and Energy Bites can provide a muscle-fueling carbohydrate boost. If conditions are just too cold for bars or bites, cold-resistant PowerBar Gels and Gel Blasts energy chews can keep you going strong. Packing your own power snacks can mean more time knee deep in powder and less time stuck in a long food line at the resort.

After Snowboarding/Skiing
You had a blast riding or skiing today, but you paid a price. Recovery is where you give your body the chance to replenish depleted muscle fuel stores, repair damaged muscle tissue, and restore the fluids and sodium you've lost as sweat. Your body is ready to start the recovery process just as soon as you get off your board or skis.

• Refill the fuel tanks. It's your carbohydrate fuel stores that determine how well and how completely you will recover for your next trip out. Eat a high-carb meal or snack immediately after you complete your runs for the day, as well as over the next 24 hours, to replenish your muscle fuel stores.
• Pound some protein. The muscles in your body just took a beating, and the fastest way to get them on the road to repair is by consuming 10-20 grams of protein along with carbs just as soon as you step out of your bindings. This will provide the amino acid building blocks that are needed to heal damaged muscle tissue and make you stronger for upcoming training days and competitions.
• Rehydrate. A day of hard work at elevation in the cold creates a fluid deficit in your body. Gradually drink about 2-3 cups of fluid for every lb of weight you lost while riding or skiing (weigh yourself before and after your session to determine how many lbs you lost in sweat). If you're among the scale-less masses, use common sense: The more you sweat, the more fluid you will need to replenish yourself. Your best options include sports drinks, recovery beverages, and water. Consume sodium sources along with your fluids, as the process of rehydration will be more effective if sodium is included with the fluid and food you take in as you recover.

Did You Know...

• A single day on the hill or in the backcountry can seriously deplete muscle fuel stores.
• Elevation and icy-cold temperatures increase your fluid losses and risk of dehydration.
• Snowboarding and skiing injuries occur most often late in the day, when you're dehydrated and your muscles are fatigued.