The Climbing Diet: Nutritional Tips For Rock Climbers
Like any sport, you’ll need a climbing diet that can keep you on your feet if you’re planning on doing it on a regular basis or even a casual one. It’s not as simple as just eating right either, you have to stay hydrated, and time your meals according to your climbs. There are certain things you need to eat before, during, and after your a. It may sound strict, but it’s essential if you want to get the most out of the activity.
Not sure where to begin with your climbing diet? Here are just a few pointers to get you on the right track.
The Right Climbing Diet
1. Get Plenty of Protein
Every athlete needs to eat protein like fish, poultry, and eggs on a regular basis. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, protein supplements will do just fine.
You will break down muscle fibers while you’re climbing and protein is the quickest and most effective way to repair them.
2. Embrace Carbohydrates
You’ll need to get in plenty of carbohydrates because they can give you quick energy while you’re climbing, but there is a flip side to that. You don’t want to take in too many.
Too many carbohydrates can be just as harmful as not enough. It’s because it can cause excess water weight that bogs you down.
3. Stay Hydrated
While you’re climbing, you will inevitably lose water either through sweating or just physical strain in general. You’ll need to have a way to rehydrate while you climb if you want to avoid muscle cramps and other issues.
You can replenish your electrolytes with a bottle of water or sports drink.
4. Calm Down With the Fats
Fats are an essential part of your diet, and some sources like avocados are even healthy for you. Too many can make it difficult to digest carbs properly which will cause you to have to eat more calories to make up for it.
So, even though fat is a good source of energy, you need to cut down on them.
5. Meal Timing
Getting these nutrients is all well and good, but what’s even more important is when you ingest them. For example, if you eat six hours before a climb, you’ll get fatigued early because of low blood sugar.
If you do skip meals during the day, then eat a small snack before you climb. This will ensure that you have enough energy to do the climb.
One idea is to eat small meals throughout the day. You might be paranoid about all the extra food, but you’ll barely notice the difference.
A Climbing Diet That is Essential for Any Rock Climber
If you enjoy rock climbing, you’ll need to have the right climbing diet to ensure that you’ll have the energy to do it. You should have food that is rich in protein and carbohydrates. You can have fats, but keep those to a minimum. Climb on!
As for your chalkbags, all they need is chalk! #EATMORECHALK!