Macronutrient Needs at Altitude – Is it different?

December 2, 2025

High-altitude nutrition research usually focuses on climbers living and sleeping at extreme elevations — think 14,000–26,000 ft camps on Himalayan or Andean expeditions. The paper “Nutrition and Hydration for High-Altitude Alpinism: A Narrative Review” by Gines Viscor and colleagues looks at how the body’s fuel needs shift in those environments.

Skiers and riders aren’t generally sleeping at that kind of altitude (Breck has an elevation of just under 13,000ft and the town is closer to 9,600 ft for context), but we are working hard in the cold, burning tons of energy, and dealing with thinner air — especially at higher-elevation resorts. So while the situations aren’t identical, the physiology certainly has overlap.

Here’s the breakdown of how it looks:

1. Your Body Burns More Carbs at Altitude

The paper points out that at high altitude, the body leans heavily on carbohydrates because they provide quicker energy and require less oxygen to burn compared to fats. Your bodies preferred fuel source at sea level is glycogen when exercising or performing strenuous aerobic activity– coming from carbohydrate sources. That’s an even bigger deal when in a hypoxic state and the body is at elevation with reduced oxygen,

At low-elevation resorts (4,000–7,000 ft), the effect is mild but noticeable — you still burn through glycogen faster than at sea level. At higher-elevation resorts (9,000–12,000+ ft), like those in Colorado or Utah, you energy use shifts even more toward carbs because your body has to work harder just to move, breathe, and stay warm.

Takeaway: Carbs are your preferred fuel source. Bring the snacks. Eat more than you think.

2. Protein Needs Go Up When You’re Stressed by Cold + Altitude

Viscor’s review also highlights that climbers at very high altitudes often lose muscle because of increased metabolic stress and reduced appetite. Ingestion of protein helps counter this by supporting muscle repair and maintaining lean mass by offsetting or slowing catabolism.

Again, we’re generally not living in a tent at 18,000 ft, but you're still putting your legs through hours of eccentric muscle work whether you’re in powder, hitting a kicker or carving a groomer. This means more micro-tears or damage to the muscle, more fatigue, and more post workout inflammation.

The paper notes that 2.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight did not even proteict lean body mass during energy deficits and the climbers studied were recommended to reach a minimum of 1.3g per kg of body weight per day so long as it didn’t hamper carbohydrate ingestion.

Takeaway: Adequate ingestion of protein source helps you recover faster and precent muscle catabolism. Aim for a minimum of 1.3g per kg of body weight with a recommendation of 2.0g per kg of body weight per day.

3. Fat Still Matters — Especially for Longer Days

Although carbohydrates become the primary fuel at altitude, the paper notes that dietary fat is still important because it’s calorie-dense and helps maintain total energy intake. The climbers at altitude are frequently in energy deficits – burning more calories than they are consuming. Dietary fat is a dense source of calories and can somewhat offset the calorie deficit when eating in the correct quantities. Caution is definitely needed, though, as high dietary fat intake can also lead to gastrointestinal discomfort and healthy dietary fat options in the form of unsaturated fats may not be appetizing at elevation.

You’re not battling the appetite suppression that extreme altitude causes, but you are burning a ton of calories on cold, long ski days.

Takeaway: Healthy fats help keep energy levels stable, especially if you’re out for back-to-back laps or touring missions.

Putting It All Together

Even though the paper focuses on mountaineers sleeping at serious altitude, the themes carry over to skiing:

Carbs are your best friend and your energy
Protein boosts recovery and helps maintains body mass
Fat keeps energy steady and reduces changes of a calorie deficit

Riders may not experience the same extreme physiological stress as high-altitude climbers, but the energy cost of skiing — cold temps, long days, and elevation changes — still makes thoughtful nutrition absolutely critical.

Sources:

Viscor, G., Corominas, J., & Carceller, A. (2023). Nutrition and Hydration for High-Altitude Alpinism: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3186. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043186

Back to blog