Hypothermia After Eating a Big Meal?

[Driver8]

Anyone ever hear of this? Yesterday I was hiking in the Taconics. Had a fine morning on the Race Brook Falls trails. Was plenty warm. Took a break for lunch, had a big meal. Made my way to Bash Bish Falls for the afternoon. Quickly determined I was risking hypothermia, even on a short hike, and bailed.

Now, I'd say it was at least 5 degrees colder in the narrow Bash Bish Canyon than it had been in the morning on the eastern face of Mt. Race with the sun shining brightly, and due to the angles and dense forest, there wasn't much sun.

But I wondered later if the blood had rushed from my extremities to my belly after the meal, making me more vulnerable to hypothermia. Anyone hear of this? All I know is I felt isolated, too cold, and unsafe. Picked up marbles and went home. Gotta be safe, especially when trekking alone.

[garlic08]

That happens to me every time I stop and eat during a ski trip. My partner, too, every time. We know we need to get moving quickly after eating. It's very noticeable. Next time maybe you'll be ready for it. One trick I use on day hikes is to put hot water in a bottle and wrap it up in my spare fleece, with my lunch. Then I can enjoy a warm lunch and semi-hot drink. That helps.

[daddytwosticks]

Happens to me quite often, even at the house. I believe you are right about the bloodflow issue (that plus my age?). The other problem is I sweat like crazy when I hike, even in the winter. When I stop to eat, I usually put on some insulation and a hat while chowing down.

[Snowleopard]

Did you drove from the Race Brook trails to Bashbish?
Eating a heavy meal does cause more blood to go to your core (I think) and less to your extremities. I don't know that would lead to hypothermia, but might make you feel colder.
Also, going from hiking vigorously to sitting and will make you colder. Maybe you need to add a layer till you've been moving for a while. Sometimes I just don't feel up to hiking hard straight from a meal, just lazy I guess (nap time). This is especially true if I'm tired from hiking earlier in the day.

[Snowleopard]

Did you drove from the Race Brook trails to Bashbish?

That should be 'drive'. I just ate a big lunch, and need to take my nap right NOW.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yes the blood does go to the stomach, even on a small meal. I have no doubt you were cold, but hypothermic? needs further reading.

[Driver8]

Did you drove from the Race Brook trails to Bashbish?

Yes the blood does go to the stomach, even on a small meal. I have no doubt you were cold, but hypothermic? needs further reading.

I drove from Race to South Egremont and grabbed lunch. (Mom's Country Store, 100 yds east of 41/23 intersection. Quite good, though no place to sit. I sat in my car to nosh.)

Then drove to Bash Bish, yes.

Wise Owl: All I can say is that a few minutes out of the car and I was shivering and feeling quite uneasy and vulnerable. Made the safe call, the right call, and packed it in. Hiking alone for the day in a very isolated area - only one other car in the lot. I've no doubt I made the right decision.

The thing I wondered later was about the hypothermia issue. I think that's been answered well here. Probably combo of the break, the big meal, and a somewhat colder spot for the proposed second hike. Will adjust accordingly in the future - extra set of dry clothes would've helped so I could change, and forestalling the big lunch in lieu of eating some trail mix would have been better. I wasn't starving, just hungry.

First hike of this late winter/incipient spring. OK to misfire a bit - glad I got out and took in some gorgeous scenery!

[Driver8]

I reckon I should also pack a thermos full of hot coffee or tea on future winter/cold day hikes, too. A stop for coffee might've made the difference yesterday.

[Sierra Echo]

Don't eat ice cream and you should be fine!

[Driver8]

Don't eat ice cream and you should be fine!

Can't blame Ben and Jerry this time - all I had was a deli sandwich, some chips and a diet soda.

[Roland]

~

But I wondered later if the blood had rushed from my extremities to my belly after the meal, making me more vulnerable to hypothermia. Anyone hear of this? ~

It's true that blood moves towards the core during digestion, but I don't think this caused your hypothermia. Actually, the body's natural defense against hypothermia is to move blood away from extremities, to help preserve core temperature.

Blood vessels near the surface of the skin can quickly dissipate heat, due to the high surface area of the skin. So when the body needs to preserve heat, blood is moved inward. Conversely, when the body needs to shed heat, it moves blood into the extremities.

What likely happened is that while you were hiking, you got warm. Your blood vessels dilated, allowing more blood to enter your extremities, in an attempt to regulate excess heat. When you stopped for lunch and ceased all exercise, your body no longer was producing excess heat. But, your cooling system (dilated blood vessels) was still activated. So, you immediately began losing heat. It takes a short while for the blood vessels to constrict after a period of exercise. (Incidentally, that's why blood pressure is often lower after exercise.) So, with your cooling mechanism still engaged, your body temp dropped quickly. This is what you felt.

The trick is to shed layers while you're exercising to keep from overheating. Then, when you stop, add layers to preserve heat.

[Driver8]

So, with your cooling mechanism still engaged, your body temp dropped quickly. This is what you felt.

The trick is to shed layers while you're exercising to keep from overheating. Then, when you stop, add layers to preserve heat.

Sounds like a correct diagnosis, Roland (except the part about overheating, see below). What is the correct presription? Bring a thermos - or a large cup - of hot beverage for the period while one warms up again from exercise? It was plenty warm in my car, but boy, did I feel uncomfortable and somewhat scared out in the cold again. I imagine changing clothes for something drier would also have helped.

Remember, I wasn't overheated during my first hike. Was pretty well just right, since it was seasonably cold out on the shoulder of the Taconics, balanced by my body generating heat from the workout. Car travel, then lunch, then more car travel took an hour plus.

[HiKen2011]

Did you drove from the Race Brook trails to Bashbish?
Eating a heavy meal does cause more blood to go to your core (I think) and less to your extremities. I don't know that would lead to hypothermia, but might make you feel colder.
Also, going from hiking vigorously to sitting and will make you colder. Maybe you need to add a layer till you've been moving for a while. Sometimes I just don't feel up to hiking hard straight from a meal, just lazy I guess (nap time). This is especially true if I'm tired from hiking earlier in the day.

This is a fact, everytime we eat blood rushes to our core.

[Roland]

I imagine changing clothes for something drier would also have helped.

Yeah, it sounds a bit perplexing. I didn't realize you were in a warm car for an hour before resuming your hike.

Perhaps the key is in the statement, above. Were you damp from perspiration, or from precipitation? In either case, evaporation can have quite a cooling effect on the body.

[Driver8]

Perspiration over all and snow melt on the feet and legs, plus dips in Race Brook from an ice break or two. Was just fine - better than I thought I might be - on the first hike. Plenty warm, head to toes.

To explain the later hypothermic feeling, I'm going with blood rushed to the stomach for digestion making my extremities and skin feel extra cold in the the outdoors after the warmth of the car. That, and my heating engine hadn't fired up yet from exercise, plus the damp clothes not helping. In any event, I think I made the right call - short of building a fire or retreating to a coffee shop in the valley.

The utter isolation cinched it for me. There were plenty of people on the Race Brook Falls trails yesterday am, but only one other soul at Bash Bish when I was there - he returned to the parking lot just as I was getting in my car to leave, and we chatted briefly.

[Driver8]

Dips of my feet and legs into the Brook - not the rest of me!

[Roland]

With me, I have discovered that if I am nervous or anxious, I feel tense and cold. This happens when I am pushing the boundary of my comfort zone. I don't think I am alone in this.

So, if by hiking alone, in an unfamiliar location, during inclement weather had you thinking about all the bad things that could go wrong, it's possible that it played a part in your feeling cold.

Forcing myself to relax usually releases the knots from my back.

Someone please tell me I'm not the only nutbag that's felt this way.

EDIT: well, I see that our posts crossed and you suggested that the isolation may have contributed to your condition. I think that confirms it. I'm in good company.

[Driver8]

With me, I have discovered that if I am nervous or anxious, I feel tense and cold. This happens when I am pushing the boundary of my comfort zone. I don't think I am alone in this.

I think the cold preceded the anxiety, though the isolatedness of the place contributed to it. The key trigger was along these lines "something doesn't feel right." I think the something was how cold I felt, relative to the morning. I didn't understand why I felt so cold, this made me feel insecure, and so on from there.

I will better prepare for the next adventure. Lesson learned. And the most important lesson - if you feel unsafe, act accordingly, duly abided by, happy to say.

[peakbagger]

It has been reinforced many a time with me that if I stop in the winter for something to eat, my hands will get real cold within 15 minutes and they are a b*tich to warm up. If I throw on a down parka and possibly some double mittens and had warmers, I can avoid it but usually I just try to cut down on long stops and limit my eating to small items. A lot of local rescue folks and ice climbers swill hot jello all day. Its absorbed quickly, requires minimal digestion and takes care of hydration all at once.

[sbhikes]

This is why I enjoyed long distance hiking so much. I couldn't bail. There was no warm car waiting for me. I worked through every so-called danger and came out the other side. I'm not saying you did the wrong thing, but too often I read stories of hikers who bail when they get thirsty and run low on water, calling that dehydration, or they bail because they were getting cold and call that hypothermia. The solution to being thirsty is hiking to the next water source. The solution to being a little cold is to get moving.