hiker height/weight/miles hiked/duration/age analysis

[cliffordbarnabus]

if you are willing to share the information in the subject of this post, this would help me greatly in some research i'm doing about the effects of hiking on one's body. i've searched past posts and a lot of people mention, of course, losing weight. but they say "i went from 195 lbs to 175 lbs." but without the height of the hiker, those numbers are relatively meaningless.

so here's my data on one of my thru hikes on the AT (feel free to post using the metric system). if you provide your height and weight, i can calculate the BMI (body mass index (which, yes, i know, is not a great tool, but it does provide a means of comparison...)):

PRE HIKE
6'2"
148 lbs
~2180 miles (thru hike)
119 days (this is total days from the day i left springer to the day i hit katahdin...i don't want to start trying to subtract nero's and zero's etc. etc.)
20 years old

POST HIKE
6'2" (perhaps some people lose some height due to spinal compression?)
141 lbs
20 years old (no trail b-day for me...)

so, i understand some people may think this information is too personal and i respect that and, if that is the case, obviously, just don't post.

incidentally, my pre-hike BMI was 19 which falls in the "normal" range. my post-hike BMI was 18.1 which falls in the "underweight" range (just barely...).

thanks,
cb

[colorado_rob]

I only went 950 miles in 2013 so not sure you want the data, but I'm 6'1", 180# before, ~175 after but quickly went back to 180-ish, probably a lot of lost weight was water-weight, I think this is typical, basic longer-term dehydration, hard to keep up on the trail. So I didn't lose much if any actual body weight, I think I was keeping up on calories, ate roughly 3500-4000 a day which is a tad light, but of course pigged-out in towns to catch up.

Turned out to be just over 7 weeks elapsed time (51 days), which is 18.5 miles a day average including neros/zeros from Springer to Front Royal. I was 57 years old last spring.

[Old Hiker]

497 miles

Pre:

6'2" - 215 or so
56 y/0

Post:

6'2" - 180 actual
56 y/0

60 days on Trail total. Does not count a 3 week hiatus mid-way for foot injury. Does NOT count zeroes, etc.

[Stink Bug]

PRE HIKE
5'10"
205 lbs
~2185.9 miles (thru hike)
119 days
45 years old

POST HIKE
5'10"
173 lbs
46 years old

152 days on trail (17 zero days)

Incidentally, almost a year after completing my hike, I'm now 183 lb but I'm back to throwing weights around 4 - 5 days a week.

[CarlZ993]

Pre:
6'1"
192#
58 YOA

Thru-hike: 152 days w/ 12 zero days; overall average = 14.4 mpd

Post:
6' 3/4" (lost 1/4 inch in height)
182#
58 YOA

I felt like I lost more weight than that. I did I pig out on town food when available. Anyway, that's what the numbers showed when I weighed myself two days after finishing the trail.

Pre-hike exercise regimen = running 5 X week; lifting 2 X week; practice hike w/ backpack 1 X week (normally; occasionally more).

Note: A 26-yr old thru-hiking buddy confided w/ me that he also lost 1/4" of height on his hike. I wonder how common that is.

[garlic08]

Pre:
5'10
154#
51 yo

AT hike: 106 days, including 3 zeros, average just over 20 mpd

Post:
5'10"
152#
52 yo

I went a few pounds below 150 in the southern Appalachains, gained above my starting weight in the mid-Atlantic (the "deli-a-day tour"), then lost it again in New England. I went back to work as a firefighter with little or no noticeable loss of strength.

Note: The AT was my third 2000+ mile hike, so I had some experience at eating and weight control while hiking.

Good luck with your project.