Nutrition, Hydration and Energy Management on a Ski Holiday
Depending on effort, skiing and snowboarding are moderate- to high-intensity exercise: according to the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, active skiing time comes to 4.3 METs at light effort, 6.3 at moderate effort and 8.0 at vigorous effort; for someone weighing 70 kg, that means roughly 300, 440 and 560 kcal per hour (only while skiing; less on the lift and in the queue). In the cold, you feel less thirsty: in one study, cold conditions reduced thirst by up to 40%. That is why you should drink water regularly without waiting to feel thirsty, start the day with a filling breakfast, top up your energy during the day with small snacks and eat well in the evening to recover. Alcohol is linked to ski injuries; in a case-control study, even drinking the night before could increase the risk.
The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities gives the energy cost of activities in METs (multiples of the resting metabolic rate). For alpine skiing and snowboarding:
Effort
MET
Approx. kcal/hour for 70 kg*
Light
4.3
~300
Moderate
6.3
~440
Vigorous
8.0
~560
\*For active skiing time only; we calculated this using the approximation 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal/kg/hour. Riding the lift, queuing and breaks use less energy, so the total for a ski day is not simply “hours of skiing × this value”.
A study of recreational skiers (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2009) shows that intensity varies with the terrain: the skiers worked at 22–66% of their maximum oxygen uptake and 48–94% of their maximum heart rate; on flat, low-intensity runs aerobic energy dominated, while on steep, demanding descents there was a shift towards anaerobic energy. For the muscles involved in skiing, see our guide Which Muscles Work When You Ski?.
The basic principle of nutrition in winter sports
A review on winter sports (Journal of Sports Sciences, 2011) states that winter athletes face increased energy expenditure, faster use of glycogen in the muscles and liver, and increased fluid losses, and therefore need enough food and fluid before, during and after exercise. The review is aimed at elite athletes, but the principle applies to a ski holiday too.
A practical plan for a ski day
Time
What to do?
Breakfast
A filling breakfast: carbohydrates (bread, oats), protein (eggs, cheese) and fluids
Morning break
A small snack in your pocket (dried fruit, nuts, a bar) and a few sips of water
Lunch
Lunch on the mountain or at the hotel; a very heavy meal can leave you feeling sluggish in the afternoon
Afternoon
A small snack and water when fatigue builds up
Evening
A balanced dinner and plenty of fluids for recovery
Fatigue builds up on the last runs of a ski day; taking a break when your energy drops is also a safety measure. For recovery, see our guide on physical preparation for a ski holiday.
Water: don't wait until you're thirsty
In the cold, your body keeps losing fluid but you feel less thirsty: in one study (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2004), cold conditions reduced the sensation of thirst by up to 40%. Practical tips:
Without waiting to feel thirsty, drink water or a hot drink regularly during breaks.
Carry a small water bottle or an insulated flask.
If your urine is dark, you need to drink more.
For the effects of high altitude on the body, see our guide How Does High Altitude Affect the Body?. The American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) 2021 expert consensus statement also covers injury prevention and performance during cold-weather exercise in detail.
Alcohol and skiing
Après-ski is part of ski culture, but alcohol and the slopes should not mix:
Injury risk: In a case-control study of 389 injured and 899 uninjured skiers (Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 1998), the amount of alcohol consumed predicted injury; the study noted that drinking 12 hours or more before skiing could also increase the risk, possibly linked to a hangover or residual effects.
How common is it? In a survey of 816 skiers in the Austrian region of Tyrol (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2019), 30% of men and 16% of women had drunk alcohol on the ski day; more than half had drunk the evening before.
Alcohol impairs decision-making and coordination; don't drink before or while skiing, and save après-ski for when you have finished for the day. For après-ski culture, see our guide Social Life After Skiing: What Is Après-Ski?.
Meals included in the package
On an activity holiday, the meal plan is part of the programme too: the Doğadayız Sarıkamış programme is full board; on the Bansko programme breakfast is included. Gathering round the same table at the end of the day and talking about the day's runs is one of the best-loved moments of a social adventure holiday; for the programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
According to the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, active skiing comes to 4.3 METs at light effort, 6.3 at moderate effort and 8.0 at vigorous effort; for someone weighing 70 kg, that means roughly 300, 440 and 560 kcal per hour. You burn less on the lift and during breaks.
How much water should I drink when skiing?
Drink regularly during breaks without waiting to feel thirsty; in one study, cold conditions reduced the sensation of thirst by up to 40%. If your urine is dark, you need to drink more.
Is it risky to drink alcohol the night before skiing?
A case-control study noted that drinking 12 hours or more before skiing could also increase the risk of injury. Alcohol impairs decision-making and coordination; saving après-ski for when you have finished skiing is the safest option.
Physical preparation for skiing and snowboarding gives you two things: less fatigue in the first few days and keeping control at the end of the day. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends arriving in good condition, stopping when you get tired, and warming up for 3–5 minutes before skiing and starting with a few slow runs; many skiing injuries happen at the end of the day. To be honest, though, according to a systematic review there is not enough evidence that fitness training reduces injuries in recreational skiers; the evidence is strongest for knee injury awareness training and, in snowboarding, for wrist guards.
Skiing works the front thigh muscles (quadriceps), back thigh muscles (hamstrings), glutes and inner thigh (adductor) muscles most. In a study measuring muscle activity (EMG), these muscles worked at more than half of their maximum force in snowplough, parallel and giant slalom turns alike, and activity increased from the snowplough to parallel turns and from there to racing turns. What sets skiing apart is eccentric work (braking while the muscle lengthens): according to one study, the braking phase in giant slalom lasts about twice as long as the push phase. In recreational skiing, too, the outside leg works much harder than the inside leg, and the load increases as the slope gets steeper. The research base for snowboarding is more limited.
Wind chill is when the temperature you feel is lower than the actual air temperature because the wind quickly carries heat away from exposed skin. According to an information card from Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, at −5 °C a 30 km/h wind feels like −13 °C. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, when the wind chill is between −28 °C and −39 °C, exposed skin can freeze in 10–30 minutes; at lower values this drops to a few minutes. When skiing, you create part of the wind yourself: skin cools very quickly when you are coming down fast and especially when you are sitting facing into the wind on a chairlift.
