Summer in southwest Montana is unlike anywhere else. Whether you're training for the Bridger Ridge Run, tackling The Rut in Big Sky, hiking deep into the Gallatin Range, or spending weekends exploring Bozeman's incredible mountain biking trails, the season places extraordinary demands on your body.
Recently, a patient came into our office preparing for both the Bridger Ridge Run and The Rut. He had already built a solid training plan with long runs, hill repeats, and endurance work, but he wanted to know if there was anything else he could do to better prepare for the steep climbs, technical descents, and thousands of feet of elevation gain.
It's a question we hear often.
Cardiovascular fitness is certainly important, but the athletes who stay strong throughout Montana's short summer season understand that success depends on more than logging miles. From a functional medicine perspective, optimal performance comes from preparing the entire body by building your energy systems, strengthening your musculoskeletal foundation, and supporting recovery.
Build Your Energy Systems for Endurance
Mountain endurance starts at the cellular level.
Inside every cell are mitochondria, tiny structures responsible for producing the energy your body needs during long climbs, challenging descents, and hours on the trail. When these energy systems are functioning well, you can maintain endurance and recover more efficiently. When they're under stress, fatigue often appears sooner than expected.
Supporting mitochondrial health doesn't have to be complicated. Some of the most effective strategies include:
- Prioritizing quality sleep
- Staying consistently hydrated
- Maintaining adequate electrolyte intake
- Ensuring key nutrients are available
Several nutrients play an important role in endurance and recovery:
- Magnesium supports muscle function and recovery after long training sessions.
- Omega-3 fatty acids help manage exercise-related inflammation.
- Creatine isn't just for strength athletes. It also supports cellular energy production and recovery during endurance training.
- Iron and vitamin D are especially important for athletes training at higher elevations, where oxygen delivery becomes even more critical.
If you're feeling unusually fatigued despite consistent training, it may be worth evaluating whether nutrient deficiencies are limiting your performance.
Strength Training Is One of the Best Injury Prevention Tools
Many mountain athletes spend hours building endurance but overlook strength training.
Ironically, many common summer injuries aren't caused by poor cardiovascular fitness. Instead, they're the result of structural overload.
Steep Montana terrain magnifies even small weaknesses. Long descents place significant stress on the knees, hips, Achilles tendons, and connective tissues. Without adequate muscular support, these structures absorb far more impact than they're designed to handle.
A consistent strength program helps build resilience by targeting the muscles that stabilize your body on uneven terrain.
Focus on exercises that strengthen:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Core muscles
Single-leg exercises improve balance and stability, while eccentric quadriceps training helps prepare your legs for the repetitive impact of downhill running and hiking.
The good news is that you don't need hours in the gym. Even two strength-training sessions each week can significantly improve durability throughout peak trail season.
Support Connective Tissue and Recovery
Training adaptations don't happen during your workouts. They happen during recovery.
One area that's frequently overlooked is connective tissue health. Tendons and ligaments are made primarily of collagen, which your body continually produces to maintain strong, resilient joints. As we age, collagen production naturally slows, making tissues slower to adapt to increasing training demands.
This helps explain why sudden increases in mileage often lead to issues such as:
- Achilles tendon pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- Persistent knee discomfort
- Tendon irritation
Supporting collagen production starts with eating enough high-quality protein.
Many athletes also benefit from collagen supplementation combined with vitamin C, which supports the body's natural collagen-building processes.
For individuals recovering from more significant injuries, regenerative therapies such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or carefully selected peptide therapies may support tissue repair when used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. While these therapies aren't miracle cures, they can be valuable tools for helping the body heal more efficiently.
Fuel Your Body for Performance
Nutrition is one of the most overlooked aspects of mountain training.
Many active adults simply don't consume enough protein to support muscle maintenance, recovery, and connective tissue health.
A good general guideline for active individuals is approximately 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, though individual needs vary based on training intensity and overall health.
Hydration also deserves careful attention, especially during Montana's warm summer months and at higher elevations. Even mild dehydration can negatively impact endurance, strength, coordination, and recovery.
Replacing both fluids and electrolytes during long efforts can make a noticeable difference in performance.
Train Smarter, Not Just Harder
By the end of our conversation, my patient preparing for the Bridger Ridge Run and The Rut realized something important.
He didn't necessarily need to train harder.
He needed to train smarter.
By supporting his energy systems, incorporating strength training, prioritizing recovery, and fueling his body appropriately, he'd be better prepared for the physical demands of Montana's mountains.
Summer here is short, and the opportunities for adventure are endless. Whether you're running the Bridgers, hiking through the Absarokas, mountain biking the Gallatin Range, or simply spending more time outdoors, preparing your body thoughtfully can help you perform better, recover faster, and stay active all season long.
About Dr. Todd J. Harris
Todd J. Harris, DO, ABFM, ABAARM, FAAMM, is the lead physician at Essential Health in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Harris specializes in functional medicine, direct primary care, hormone optimization, peptide therapy, regenerative medicine, and personalized approaches that help patients improve performance, longevity, and overall health.
This article was originally published in Outside Bozeman’s Summer 2026 issue found here: https://outsidebozeman.com/training/workouts/train-hard-play-harder
