The Workout Nut

Written by: AnnieWall

Climbing is quickly becoming one of the most popular new sports. Thanks to indoor climbing walls an increasing amount of people of all ages are beginning to discover climbing as a sport or work out activity. It presents certain challenges and climbing should certainly be seen as an endurance sport. 

What You Need to Know About Climbing

To get the most out of climbing as a sport you need to have good all around fitness. Aerobic fitness is as important as strength, and when you get into climbing, you soon appreciate that flexibility is vital. If you are serious about climbing, you don’t only want to focus on climbing. Other workouts such as yoga, tai-chi, and running will help you to improve.

Yoga is a great “sideline” to practice when you are a climber. It can help to improve both strength and flexibility. On top of that, it will help you to improve the breathing technique and lung function you need for climbing. Once you have been climbing for a while, you will realize your “breath” can help you to scale whatever climbing obstacle you have decided to take on.

Tai-chi may seem like an unusual add-on work out activity for climbers. However, just like yoga, it can help you to focus. Losing focus when climbing can be dangerous, and if you are new to the sport, you may find that learning how to focus is one of the most difficult parts of the sport. This is very much a sport which is all about technique.
Running will help to improve both heart and lung function. You are certainly going to need both when you are scaling Mount Everest!

Most Frequent Climbing Injuries

Falling is not the most frequent injury for a climber. In climbing, there are so many safety precautions that you are not very likely to fall. You are far more likely to pick up a range of physical injuries such as tendon, muscle, and joint injuries. Taking a range of supplements can help to prevent the injuries which you may encounter when climbing.

Best Supplements for Climbers

What are the best supplements for climbers? Climbers benefit from taking a range of supplements which will help to keep their muscles, tendons, and joints in good shape. In climbing it is not only your knees and hip joints which are at risk from your injury. You use almost every joint in your body when you climb, and it important to take supplements which will protect all of your joints.

Tendons and muscles need to be looked after when you climb. The most common injury in climbing is to tendons, and even top climbers suffer from conditions such as tendonitis on a regular basis unless they follow a supplement routine.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine has become a bit of a controversial supplement, and it is even claimed it does not work. That is not true. It helps if you understand a little bit more about glucosamine. Much of the glucosamine used in the body is associated with sulfur as sulfate. Glucosamine sulfate resembles closely-related compounds in the body which makes it easily bio-available.

The problem with glucosamine is that it is constantly being broken down and if you practice any kind of sport, your body will need more glucosamine than your body can manufacture. If you look at glucosamine under a microscope, you will notice it is made up out of microfibers. It is these microfibres which go onto support muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and other organs.

A lack of glucosamine will mean the rate of breakdown exceeds the rate of repair. Connective tissue such as cartilage starts to degenerate. This will lead to injury and eventually even arthritis. 

Can we be short of the amount of glucosamine our body needs? It would seem so. Sports activities such as climbing result in excess wear and tear, and eventually, glucosamine can’t keep up with the amount of repair it has to do on an ongoing basis. This is why glucosamine is one of the best supplement for climbers.

Rutin – What Is it and How Does it Work?

If you would like to naturally boost the effectiveness of glucosamine, you should consider adding rutin to your supplement routine. What is rutin? Rutin is a water-soluble bioflavonoid and often referred to as vitamin P. Rutin functions together with vitamin C to maintain healthy capillaries, and most importantly for climbers, is assists with the production of collagen in connective tissue increasing the integrity of muscles and tendons. Sadly, it is one of the most neglected supplement, however, it is one of the best supplements for climbers. 

Collagen for Climbers

Many people who take supplements often take a supplement of collagen but they really don’t know what collagen is and how it works. Collagen is, in fact, a protein which forms part of the tendons. Without collagen, the tendons in our bodies would not be able to attach the muscles to our bones. It is an intercellular material which binds all cells together. The body has a huge need for collagen, however, some parts of our body such as ligaments, bone, and cartilage use it in excess of other parts. Sports activities put an increased strain on the body’s a natural source of collagen. The only way you can really support your body is to take a high strength collagen supplement.

Conclusion

Climbing is an excellent sport for the entire family. But just like with other sports, you need to look after your body. Paying attention to your diet is important, and you should focus on adding as many anti-inflammatory foods to your diet as possible. They will work in conjunction with the supplements you are taking and help to protect you against injuries.
Along with the best supplements for climbers, you need to make sure you fuel up properly before a climb. You be surprised how many calories you burn, and keeping up your protein intake is another factor you should consider. It is a good idea to take with you some energy-boosting protein bars which you can easily fit in your pocket to keep up your strength during your climb.