Founder & Medical Director at New York Cosmetic Skin & Laser Surgery Center
Answered 5 months ago
In my active patients, poor trail nutrition often shows up later as slow healing and overuse injuries. Freeze-dried meals help because they are light and shelf stable, while a pouch often gives 500-800 calories. Many are salty and low in fiber, so I ask athletes to choose options with at least 15 grams of protein and around 60 grams of carbohydrate. On long efforts, gels and syrups are tools, not candy. Most endurance athletes I treat feel best with 20-30 grams of carbohydrate every 20-30 minutes, then simple food during easier sections. Sensitive guts do better when you "train the gut" by using the same gel in practice runs. That mirrors 2025 research on carbohydrate gel strategies in endurance sports: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11901785/ Cameron K. Rokhsar, MD, FAAD, FAACS https://cosmeticlaserskinsurgery.com