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

you are climbing, it might be better to consume a high-GI drink upon completion of your workout or day of climbing. Numerous studies have shown that elevating blood sugar as soon as possible after exercise provides the substrate for synthesis of muscle glycogen (Robergs 1991). This is especially important if you plan to climb the very next day—replenishing glycogen stores takes up to twenty-four hours, so you need to get the process started immediately and at high speed (see chapter 10 for more recovery tips).
ENERGY BARS
     
    Energy bars have been a dietary mainstay of many climbers since PowerBar hit the scene back in the late 1980s. Originally intended for endurance athletes like bikers and runners, many of the energy bars are designed to deliver a rapid release of sugar into the bloodstream. Therefore, many energy bars possess a high glycemic index (greater than seventy); these are easily identified by their first ingredient, high-fructose corn syrup. Climbers in search of sustained energy are better off sticking to foods with a GI of less than seventy, since they provide more sustained energy and less of an insulin response.
    The numerous balanced-style bars that have entered the market in recent years typically possess a glycemic index in the forty-to-sixty range. The higher amount of protein and fat contained in these bars helps slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. The balanced 40:30:30 macronutrient ratio also helps conserve glycogen and may even help spare muscle protein from being used for energy during a long day of climbing. Consequently, consuming a couple of Balance Bars (Fig Newtons are also good) and drinking lots of water may be the single best combination to maintain energy, spare muscle protein, and prevent dehydration.
CREATINE
     
    Dozens of sports supplements claim to help build muscle and increase strength. While most are, in fact, worthless, creatine has been proven to increase explosive strength (Toler 1997; Kreider 1998). But is creatine a good supplement for climbers?
    First, creatine is by far the most noticeably effective sports supplement on the market. When it is consumed daily in doses of 10 to 25 grams, users actually see their muscles get larger and harder—the results can be quite amazing—as they gain lean muscle mass (that is, the users’ body weight increases). Consequently, creatine-containing products have become the biggest-selling sports supplements in the country, and they are widely used by football and baseball players, weight lifters, bodybuilders, and millions of fitness buffs. But are these effects beneficial for climbers? Let’s take a look at how creatine works.
    Creatine is a compound that’s natural to the body, and it’s used in the muscles to help create ATP (the energy source for brief, explosive movements). Creatine is also present in animal foods such as red meat, but the amount consumed in a normal diet is quite small (a couple of grams per day). Studies have shown that taking twenty grams per day of supplemental creatine for five or six days will enhance performance in short-duration, high-intensity exercise such as sprinting or weight lifting. This creatine-loading protocol is the method used by most athletes—but it’s the wrong protocol for climbers!
    Two side effects of creatine loading are weight gain and what’s known as cell volumizing. Both these effects occur because creatine associates with water as it is stored in the muscles. Over the six-day loading phase, more and more creatine is stored and an increasing amount of water is drawn into the muscle cell. This gives muscles a fuller, “pumped” feel and look—just what bodybuilders and fitness buffs want. This loading process, therefore, results in a water weight gain of several pounds or more in most individuals. This is a good thing for athletes in sports where increased weight and speed (inertia) can be used to your advantage (tackling, swinging a bat, or swinging your fist). In a sport that requires a high strength-to-weight ratio, however, it can have a negative impact on performance.
    Some climbers have argued that stronger muscles (due to creatine loading) can easily lift the extra weight gained in the growing process. The problem, however, is that creatine loads in all muscles of the body, not just the climbing muscles, and will load proportionately more in the largest muscles of the body—the legs! Of course, increasing leg muscle size and weight is a bad thing for