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

blood lactate removal was greatest in the group performing combined active rest and massage. Therefore, you may be able to further improve the Watts strategy of active rest by performing some self-massage on your most fatigued muscles (usually the forearms, upper arms, and shoulders).
    A more recent study has shown that shorter periods of active recovery provide similarly positive effects on lowering blood lactate concentrations compared with equal periods of passive rest. The study tested ten climbers engaging in five, two-minute climbing trials, followed by two minutes of either active or passive recovery. The active-recovery group started the next trial with lower arterial lactate concentration than the passive-recovery group, and they recorded lower perceived exertion scores at the end of each climb (Draper 2006). The bottom line on this study is that in bouldering, it’s better to walk around between ascents or attempts and sustain a higher heart rate to speed recovery.

Prehydrate Within Two Hours of Exercise
     
    Muscles are more than 70 percent water, and it plays a vital role in cellular function and the transport of nutrients and metabolic waste. If you are dehydrated, it will hurt your performance and slow recovery. Therefore, it’s prudent to prehydrate by consuming a quart of water in the two hours preceding a workout or climbing. Continue sipping water throughout the duration of activity at a minimum rate of eight ounces every hour (twice this, if it’s hot).

Accelerating Medium-Term or Intraday Recovery
     
    Intraday recovery is the medium-term recuperation that occurs throughout the day and up to twenty-four hours following exercise. What you do (or don’t do) during this recovery period plays a direct role in how much energy you will have during the latter part of a long day of climbing; it’s also the primary factor in how much recovery you acquire in a single night of rest. Of course, this is of big-time importance if you are in the midst of a long, all-day route or when you plan to climb two days in a row.
    Earlier I referred to this medium-term recovery phase as the refuel period, since restoring a normal blood glucose level and replenishing glycogen is the basis for most recovery gained from thirty minutes to twenty-four hours following exercise. Consequently, consuming the right carbohydrates at the right time is the single most vital action to accelerate recovery. Still, stretching, massage, and the use of relaxation exercises will also increase your rate of recuperation. Let’s delve deeper into each of these areas.

Refuel Early and Often
     
    The single biggest error in recovery strategy by most climbers is delayed consumption of calories during and after a day of climbing. The natural tendency is to become so engaged in the activity of climbing that you forget to eat and drink. This is compounded by the fact that strenuous exercise naturally suppresses hunger.
REFUELING WHILE YOU CLIMB
     
    Earlier it was explained that consuming calories throughout the day helps maintain blood glucose and, thus, helps slow the use of your limited supply of glycogen. Toward this end, you should take in your first dose of calories between one to two hours after beginning your climb. If you are cragging, this might mean consuming a piece of fruit, a Balance Bar, or eight ounces of sports drink after completing the first strenuous climb of the day. Continue eating a small serving of food every two hours throughout the day. In the case of all-day climbing, this means a total of four snacks—for example, two pieces of fruit and two energy bars.
    This may seem like an awful lot of food, and it is if you are only climbing for half a day or going bouldering (halve these amounts in these situations). To keep climbing hard throughout the day and to speed recovery for a second day of climbing, however, you should consume a minimum of 600 to 800 calories during the course of the day.
    Selecting the right kinds of food at the right time is a matter of the glycemic index (GI). As introduced in chapter 9, high-GI foods elicit a rapid rise (then drop) in blood sugar, while medium- and low-GI foods release fuel into the bloodstream more slowly. In a stop-and-go sport like climbing, steady blood sugar is vital for maintaining steady concentration and steady energy. Therefore, consume only low-and medium-GI foods while you are still engaged in physical activity (see table 9.2). Upon completing your day on the rocks