View Full Version : Hypothermia After Eating a Big Meal?
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
02-27-2011, 14:02
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
02-27-2011, 14:38
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
02-27-2011, 14:41
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
02-27-2011, 14:43
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
02-27-2011, 14:45
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.
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! :sun
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
02-27-2011, 15:20
Don't eat ice cream and you should be fine!
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. :)
~
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.
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
02-27-2011, 19:32
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.
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.
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.
Dips of my feet and legs into the Brook - not the rest of me! :)
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. :D
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.
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
02-28-2011, 10:29
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.
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.
I'm not saying you did the wrong thing, but too often I read stories of hikers who bail ... The solution to being a little cold is to get moving.
Or, if you feel really vulnerable, are highly isolated and out of range of back-up, something just ain't right and you're 50 yards from your car, you get in your car.
Key differences between thru-hiker and day hiker (especially one out for first day of late winter/early spring):
1. Thru is much better provisioned for all conditions (or better be), and
2. Often is in much better shape (certainly true with me).
If you're feeling faint, the smart thing to do is to sit down for a spell. If you feel unsafe, especially out in the cold on rocky, mountainous terrain, the smart thing is to get to safety. I did that, and I'll not be made to feel bad for what I know, for sure, was the right thing to do, certainly not by someone who does not know me.
I had a good friend die far too young just two days ago - not on a mountain, but that's not the point - because he didn't take good care of himself. I will avoid that fate, if I'm capable, thanks. Anyone ever hear of HYOH?
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.
Great tip. Thanks for that! Something warm clearly is a big bonus - I will certainly remember that - it's a drag to get half a mile away from a great waterfall view and have to turn around due to poor preparation for the cold, combined with inexperience. Didn't give a thought to the effect of the big lunch. Was hungry, and ate. Will know better how to approach this next time.
Snowleopard
03-02-2011, 13:59
Bashbish may not be the safest place in winter. Slipping on the ice in the wrong place there would be very very serious. The most important skill for winter hiking in New England, especially solo, is knowing when to back off.
Bashbish may not be the safest place in winter. Slipping on the ice in the wrong place there would be very very serious. The most important skill for winter hiking in New England, especially solo, is knowing when to back off.
It felt really unsafe approaching it from the upper parking lot in Mass - looking at it on Google Earth confirms that the descent from there is quite steep (and of course rocky). This even though I had microspikes and TPs and am pretty sure-footed.
Do you think it would be better, safer, snowleopard, if approached from the lower parking area in NY? Thinking about heading back out in a couple weeks.
Snowleopard
03-02-2011, 17:35
I day hiked in there 2 years ago (summer) from Taconic State Park. My recollection is that from the lower parking lot in NY, there is still a very steep descent to the falls with stairs going down. If it's icy you would have to be very careful not to get too close without something to hold onto. I did stop at the Mass. parking lot but didn't go all the way to the falls from there. There was a lookout that has some exposure and you could take a real long ride down if it was icy and you got too close to the edge. I think the trail down leads through woods to the same lower parking lot, then stairs to the falls.
It must be beautiful when it's frozen. It'll have a huge volume of water going through it when melting gets under way.
Microspikes aren't always the best when going down steep rocks; it's possible for them to roll off. That's OK if what's below you is safe. Sliding into the brook in winter wouldn't be good. Spray from the falls might make the bottom of the trail pure ice. I would feel a little ridiculous wearing crampons and an ice axe to a popular tourist site, but you might need them to get to the very bottom of the trail in the winter. If everything including the falls and brook were frozen solid, it would be safer than if things are flowing.
Microspikes aren't always the best when going down steep rocks; it's possible for them to roll off. That's OK if what's below you is safe. Sliding into the brook in winter wouldn't be good. Spray from the falls might make the bottom of the trail pure ice. I would feel a little ridiculous wearing crampons and an ice axe to a popular tourist site, but you might need them to get to the very bottom of the trail in the winter. If everything including the falls and brook were frozen solid, it would be safer than if things are flowing.
I will head back out this weekend or next. Gonna try the approach from the lower parking lot. Do you have to go low to get a view of the falls - from that angle of approach, at least?
I attempted the overlook near the upper parking lot. Solid ice after a point. Got halfway up and thought better of it. I'll have a friend with me next trip, plus I will know how to fend off cold issues - and will know when to expect them where I didn't before (full belly after a pause). Should be ok.
Graywolf
03-03-2011, 18:48
Good tips here. One more I might add, even though its a no-brainer, it hasnt been brought up. After eating a meal, espcially a big meal, is to rest afterwards. Not hurry back nto hiking so quickly. This gives your body time to digest some of the food and the muscles and blood vessels to relax. Rest is very important after a big meal..
I would rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably 45 minutes..Enjoy the scenry around you..
Graywolf
Good tips here. One more I might add, even though its a no-brainer, it hasnt been brought up. After eating a meal, espcially a big meal, is to rest afterwards. Not hurry back nto hiking so quickly. This gives your body time to digest some of the food and the muscles and blood vessels to relax. Rest is very important after a big meal..
For sure. Thanks, Graywolf! I usu don't eat a meal mid-hike, just nosh on some trail mix. The waterfall jumping I did Sat and plan to repeat soon is uncharacteristic in that way. Hike a few miles, oogle falls and ice formations, take pics and vid, hike back to car, drive for a while, etc. I hadn't thought of the effect of the big meal and break mid-day.
I did get a break of about half an hour between meal and Bash Bish, though, in my drive from country store in South Egremont through Copake Falls in NY and up the gorge to near the falls. For the record. ...