Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

consume high-GI foods such as juice, soda pop, and most sports drinks (like Gatorade) is at the end of your workout or day of climbing. Intense exercise primes the muscles to immediately reload energy reserves in the form of glycogen. High blood sugar and the insulin spike help drive this repletion process. The optimal window for these high-GI foods is the first two hours following exercise. After that, favor low- to medium-index foods for slow, steady refueling. See chapter 10 for more information on this and other recovery strategies.
DAILY REQUIREMENTS
     
    Carbohydrates should account for nearly two-thirds of your daily caloric intake. This means that roughly two-thirds of your plate should be covered with pasta, rice, potatoes, and vegetables, with the other third comprising lean, protein-rich foods. Be sure to apply the same rules when snacking. Try to pair up carbos such as a bagel or fruit with some protein like skim milk, yogurt, or a small amount of peanut butter. The protein helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and results in longer-lasting energy.

     
    Table 9.2 Glycemic Index of Common Foods
     

    You can also calculate your approximate need for carbohydrates according to your body weight. Training for two hours per day, you would need roughly seven grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh seventy-two kilograms (160 pounds), the requirement would be for approximately 500 grams of carbohydrates; at four calories per gram of carbohydrate, this would equal 2,000 calories. Engaging in a full day of strenuous climbing, however—compared with two hours of training—may demand as much as ten to fourteen grams per kilogram of body weight.

Water
     
    Water may be the most important nutrient to get right when you are climbing, yet I sense that many climbers are chronically dehydrated. Dr. Kristine Clark, director of sports nutrition at Penn State’s Center for Sports Medicine, says that “even a 1 to 2 percent drop in water will cause problems in performance.” The earliest symptoms of mild dehydration are a loss of concentration and enhanced fatigue. Clark adds that “a 3 percent drop in water level can create headaches, cramping, dizziness.” Furthermore, a recent study has shown that dehydration leading to just a 1.5 percent drop in body weight resulted in a statistically significant drop in maximum strength (Schoffstall 2001).
    In a sport as stressful as climbing, dehydration also increases your chance of a joint or tendon injury. Consider that proper hydration facilitates transport of nutrients to the cells, helps protect tissues from injury, and maintains joint lubrication. Therefore, for the purpose of injury prevention, maintaining proper hydration as you train or climb is as important as a proper warm-up.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING DEHYDRATION
     
    As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to prehydrate (“camel up,” as it’s called) before you go to the gym or head out climbing by drinking two to four glasses of water. Follow this with a minimum of an eight ounce serving every hour throughout the day. This would total two quarts of water consumed over an eight-hour period on the rocks. This is a bare minimum amount—what you might drink, say, on a cold day when you perspire very little. Climbing on a humid, eighty-degree day, however, would roughly double this requirement. That means carrying four quarts of water with you for an eight-hour day of climbing. Of course, I doubt you know of very many, if any, climbers who carry three or four quarts of liquid to the crags—thus, the mass of climbers are unknowingly detracting from their ability and increasing injury risk due to mild dehydration.

     
    Table 9.3 Estimated Nutrient and Calorie Needs
     

    Diet and Nutritional Tips
     
    1. Strive for a 65:15:20 caloric ratio of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in your overall daily diet.
    2. Consume 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to facilitate maximum recovery and muscular regeneration.
    3. Limit fat consumption to mono- and polyunsaturated fats from vegetable and fish oils. Avoid saturated and trans fats, fried foods, and prepackaged snack products.
    4. Consume several small carbohydrate snacks throughout the day to provide sustained energy, positive mood, and clear thinking. Favor low- to mid-GI foods.
    5. Drink an eight-ounce serving of water every hour throughout the day—and twice this amount on hot