DEXA post-trail – The walk

Before my hike, I went to a local DEXA provider to get a body composition test. DEXA is an elegant x-ray scan that lasts about 6 minutes and provides detailed information about your fat, muscle and skeletal condition. If you are not familiar with DEXA, I recommend discussing it with your doctor or nutritionist because there are many finer points and caveats to be aware of. I waited a week before the DEXA to help rehydrate and restore some muscle glycogen which can affect the results.

Before the PCT, I was in good shape having trained for several months before embarking on my journey. I was curious to see how my body would change and respond to the rigors of the trail. In addition to my goals of finishing the PCT and hopefully having fun along the way, two additional main goals were to 1) remain injury free and 2) keep my body as strong and robust as possible despite the daily physiological stress of traveling over 2,000 miles. I want my body to last much longer than the PCT and I didn’t want any permanent damage.

So what changed? Did my supplements and attention to nutrition make a difference?

Here’s the breakdown:

• In total, I only lost about 4 pounds.
• I lost 8 pounds. (6%) overall body fat, which for a woman my size is huge. It was still in the normal range, but on the lower end.
• I gained 4.4 pounds. of muscle (a gain of about 5%).
• I improved my appendicular lean mass index (which was previously below average). It is now in the average range. This is the amount of muscle in my arms and legs and indicates muscularity and functional strength. This tends to get worse as you age and lose muscle mass.
• I gained some visceral fat, but not much. Visceral fat is unhealthy and may be related to the amount of stress my body was under.
• I lost bone density, but it is still in the normal range. Hopefully this will improve now that I’m home.

Conclusions:

Yes, I think my attention to nutrition and pre-trail training made a big difference, as the beneficial changes in my body outweighed the minor negative changes. Also, although my joints (especially my feet and ankles) often hurt at the end of a long day, they seem fine after getting some rest at home. I didn’t have to take any time off during the hike due to injury. Part of that was luck, and part of that was making wise decisions about risk along the way (i.e. not doing crazy, uneven trails in the dark, etc.). I also believe that listening to my body and NOT doing big miles greatly decreased my risk of injury. I found that the pressure from my peers to do 40 to 50 kilometers a day was high. I would often stop hours before other hikers and watch them pass my campsite on the trail and it would make me feel like a slacker. I was passed by hikers who looked much older than me. Other hikers boasted of putting in big miles like the “2-Week Oregon Challenge.” But you know what? Yo still I finished and stayed healthy.

And now what?

It’s amazing how our bodies adapt to any activity we are doing. Since returning home 10 days ago, I’ve done some light swimming, light running, low-key yoga, and light weight lifting (50% of what I was lifting before). Every activity has resulted in me being VERY sore. If you’re like me, staying still is a challenge, so you may need to take some sedatives (just kidding, but not really). If my experience is any help, maybe don’t sign up for a big race right after finishing the PCT. Fortunately, I thought about it but didn’t pull the trigger.

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