Читать книгу The Pennine Way - the Path, the People, the Journey онлайн

31 страница из 86

In their fascinating and thoughtful article, called ‘How to complete the Pennine Way’, the two scientists said that amid all the advice on what boots or equipment a prospective Pennine Way walker needed, there was virtually nothing on the main reason for walkers giving up – ‘body chemistry’. The article explained how the first few days on the Pennine Way prove an enormous shock to the system for most people. ‘The normal store of muscle glycogen and free blood sugar is used up, giving rise to hypoglycaemia (shortage of blood sugar),’ they explained. They went on say that despite the consumption of sweets and energy bars the body will start to access its fat store, but unless you are a regular athlete this turning of fat into sucrose will be a slow and inefficient process to start with. ‘You will feel hungry, tired and depressed due to a low blood sugar level. The conversion of food into mechanical energy is inefficient, the majority turning into heat. The body then counters heat by sweating. Sweat is a mixture of water and body salts, mainly sodium chloride. Loss of body liquids and salts can result in partial dehydration leaving you weak and shaking. Most of the essential B vitamins are water-soluble and excessive sweating can result in a temporary deficiency. Such deficiencies will result in a reduced efficiency in converting fat into energy as well as producing depression, irritability, diarrhoea, etc.’