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

at all costs avoid fat-laden fried foods and any snack foods containing hydrogenated oils. Strive for a macronutrient profile of roughly 65:15:20 (carbohydrate:protein:fat) for each major meal.
    While the other three feedings need be only a couple hundred calories, they are vital for maintaining steady blood glucose and continuing the recovery processes throughout the day. Low- and medium-GI foods are the best choice, with a piece of fruit or a balanced-type energy bar being ideal selections.

Take a Multivitamin and Antioxidants
     
    In today’s world of highly processed foods, it’s often difficult to consume enough of the vitamins and minerals that athletes need by simply eating a well-rounded diet. Chapter 9 set forth a basic supplement program that I feel all serious climbers should abide by. It’s most important to consume extra vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium; taking a daily multivitamin would also be wise.

Stretch and Massage Sore Muscles
     
    Gentle stretching and sports massage are widely accepted as effective means to lengthen the muscles and enhance recovery following strenuous exercise. Professional athletes have full-time trainers who help with post-exercise stretching and rest-day massage (must be nice!). Though I won’t pay for you to add a masseur to your climbing-support staff, I do suggest that you stretch for ten to fifteen minutes per day and partake in some sports massage of sore muscles. Follow the stretching procedures outlined in chapter 6 and, of course, the primer on sports massage provided earlier in this chapter.
    Long-Term Recovery Tips
     
    1. Eat small frequent meals—consume six smaller meals and snacks comprising low-to mid-GI foods and protein sources.
    2. Drink eight ounces of water every one to two hours to rehydrate and flush toxins from your body.
    3. Take a daily multivitamin and other antioxidants as detailed in chapter 9.
    4. Avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, since these provide little quality nutrition, lead to dehydration, and suppress growth hormone response following exercise.
    5. Engage in daily stretching, massage, and active-recovery activities such as hiking, biking, and easy running.
    6. Apply a heating pad to sore muscles and tendons, twice daily for ten to fifteen minutes, to increase blood flow and accelerate recovery and healing. Note that you should never place a heating pad on a swollen or acutely injured body part.
    7. Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night; nine to ten hours (or more) after mega-long day climbs or multiday big-wall or alpine ascents.
    8. Strive for a calm, relaxed, easygoing disposition—this will help lower cortisol levels and foster more rapid recovery.
     
     

Get Plenty of Sleep
     
    Here’s an important recovery technique that this full-time working, four-day-a-week-training, weekend-climbing, book-writing, thirty-year veteran of the rocks wishes he could get more of! Although most neuromuscular regeneration occurs during sleep, I always fall back on the fact that nothing is produced or achieved during sleep.
    Seriously, sleep is vital for any climber serious about training and passionate about maximizing ability. The bare minimum amount of sleep per night is seven to eight hours, though nine to ten hours is ideal following an extremely strenuous workout or a long day of climbing. No doubt, it’s a busy world—and sleep may seem like the only activity that’s expendable. If you closely evaluate a typical day, however, you will likely be able to identify some low-value activities like surfing the Net, watching TV, and certain social events that can be reduced or eliminated to allow for more sleep. It can take great discipline to give up some of these activities—visualize your climbing goals!—but the long-term payoffs will dwarf the hollow pleasure of these low-value pastimes.

Engage in Light Activities
     
    Earlier you learned of a couple of great research studies that showed the value of active rest in accelerating recovery from strenuous exercise (by enhancing removal of lactic acid). In the context of long-term recovery, active rest is also beneficial because it enhances circulation to the damaged muscles and produces a general loosening effect on stiff muscles.
    The best active-rest activities for climbers are hiking, jogging, light mountain biking, and even some limited less-than-vertical or big-hold climbing. Still, it’s crucial that each of these activities be performed at a low