Thursday, July 26, 2007
Good Fuel Means Lots of Climbing Power
Climbing takes a lot of energy, so it’s only natural that climbers would want to put the right fuel in their bodies, in the right amounts.
But finding nutrition tips specifically for climbers can be tough. The most common advice is “eat right,” with no specifics about what’s right for the day of a big climb vs. the night before, or what’s best to keep handy for an energy boost in the middle of a climb.
The second most common advice comes in the form of posts from climbers who are glad to describe what they eat and when, but with little insight as to why their preferences are better than anyone else’s. Vegan or omnivore? Clif bars or Snickers? Energy drinks or sports drinks. Or water? Before, after and/or during?
Here are some resources that offer a bit more insight:
To get some insight into what happens to all that food you eat, take a look at the description of carbohydrate loading at indoorclimbing.com. Roam the site to learn more about how muscles work and their protein requirements, and the nutritional advice for preparing for a competition. You’ll find the recommendations change as the comp date nears, with more emphasis on carbohydrates.
Energy bars are popular, but not all created equal. Even the bars from a single manufacturer aren’t all created equal. Take the popular Clif line. As graded by the Calorie Count site, most of the company’s products fare well nutritionally. But a few, such as the Mojo Honey Roasted Peanut bar, rate only a C-plus.
For some full menus, there’s Beth Bennett’s “Nutrition for Climbers.” The 1993 paperback from Chockstone Press is only about 30 pages long, but offers recipes for complete meals.
Climbing takes a lot of energy, so it’s only natural that climbers would want to put the right fuel in their bodies, in the right amounts.But finding nutrition tips specifically for climbers can be tough. The most common advice is “eat right,” with no specifics about what’s right for the day of a big climb vs. the night before, or what’s best to keep handy for an energy boost in the middle of a climb.
The second most common advice comes in the form of posts from climbers who are glad to describe what they eat and when, but with little insight as to why their preferences are better than anyone else’s. Vegan or omnivore? Clif bars or Snickers? Energy drinks or sports drinks. Or water? Before, after and/or during?
Here are some resources that offer a bit more insight:
To get some insight into what happens to all that food you eat, take a look at the description of carbohydrate loading at indoorclimbing.com. Roam the site to learn more about how muscles work and their protein requirements, and the nutritional advice for preparing for a competition. You’ll find the recommendations change as the comp date nears, with more emphasis on carbohydrates.
Energy bars are popular, but not all created equal. Even the bars from a single manufacturer aren’t all created equal. Take the popular Clif line. As graded by the Calorie Count site, most of the company’s products fare well nutritionally. But a few, such as the Mojo Honey Roasted Peanut bar, rate only a C-plus.
For some full menus, there’s Beth Bennett’s “Nutrition for Climbers.” The 1993 paperback from Chockstone Press is only about 30 pages long, but offers recipes for complete meals.
Labels: climbing, tips, touchstone
¶ Thursday, July 26, 2007
