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

significant increase in muscular strength in a group of athletes taking supplemental magnesium and zinc (in the form of a patented supplement known as ZMA) versus a control group of athletes taking a placebo (Brilla 1998). Clearly, any climber engaging in serious strength training could benefit from taking this ZMA supplement (available from several different companies).
    Another important mineral is selenium, known primarily for its function as an antioxidant. If you are consuming extra vitamin C and vitamin E, you might want to add 100 to 200 micrograms of selenium (taken in split doses with meals) to your supplement regimen.
    Calcium and iron are two other minerals that some climbers may be lacking. Vegetarians often fall short on iron consumption, and some women may not get enough iron and calcium in their diets. A multivitamin is the best way to obtain extra iron, especially since its absorption is enhanced in the presence of vitamin C (also in a multivitamin). Females wanting to get extra calcium in their diets could take a calcium supplement (Tums are cheap and taste good!) or simply drink a few glasses of skim milk each day.

Sports Supplements
     
    The most effective way to increase climbing performance is through a long-term, dedicated effort to improve your technique, mental control, and upper-body strength. Unless you are working to dial in on each of these areas, the few sports supplements that do work are probably a waste of money. If you are actively honing your technical skills and training to increase your physical and mental fitness, however, you may be able to further improve your performance through use of a handful of ergogenic (performance-enhancing) supplements.
PROTEIN POWDERS
     
    As discussed earlier, athletes have a greater daily protein requirement than sedentary people, since strenuous exercise results in a higher protein turnover. While mega amounts are not necessary (as some supplement companies and fitness magazines suggest), a 160-pound climber does need to consume between 86 and 108 grams of protein per day. This modest amount can be met through a well-rounded diet; it may be tough to consume adequate protein, however, if you do not eat meat such as chicken, fish, and lean red meats. There is also the limiting factor relating to the biological value of the protein source consumed. Not all protein sources are equal when it comes to providing your body with the necessary building blocks.
    Consequently, scientists have developed a number of ways to measure the quality of protein sources. The biological value (BV) is one of the most commonly used; it’s based on how much of the protein consumed is actually absorbed and utilized by the body. The higher the BV, the greater the amount of protein that is actually available to be used by the body to strengthen muscles and connective tissues, and to support enzyme formation, among other things.
    When the BV scale was originally developed, the egg was considered the perfect protein source (remember Rocky?) and sat alone atop the chart with a value of one hundred. Since then new technologies have enabled the creation of superproteins that are equally valuable to the body but without the fat found in many high-protein foods. Whey is the current superstar of proteins, with a BV of one hundred (though for some reason a few companies inflate this number). Therefore, whey protein could be viewed as superior to the lower-BV foods such as fish, beef, chicken, or soy in helping meet the protein needs of an athlete.
    While whey protein costs approximately $0.40 to $0.70 per twenty-gram serving, the investment is a good one considering its ease of use and high BV. Many brands are available from health food stores, supplement catalogs, and online merchants, so shop around for the best deal. Designer Whey Protein by Next Proteins is one excellent brand with several good flavors that mix easily in milk, juice, or water. Such liquid protein is ideal first thing in the morning, and it can increase your rate of recovery when consumed immediately following your workout or a day of climbing (more on this in the next chapter).

     
    Table 9.4 Biological Values of Protein Sources
     

    One of the highest-quality and most affordable protein sources is skim milk (see table 9.4). Since each glass contains ten grams of protein, consuming a quart of milk per day would provide forty grams toward your total protein requirement. As someone who only occasionally eats meat,