Climbing Smarter, Not Harder: Nutrition Essentials for Sports Climbing Success

Sports climbing pushes your body and mind to their “peak” limits - pun very much intended. 

Whether you’re casually scaling the walls in your local climbing gym for fun, tackling bouldering problems, racing competition up a 15m vertical, or trying to conquer some outdoor routes, your climbing nutrition plays a key role in your performance, fuelling, and recovery - cornerstones of climbing success. 

With the right fueling strategy, you can climb faster, make better technical decisions, recover quicker, and hopefully reach your peak potential in the sport. 

As a Sports Dietitian, I’ve worked with athletes of all levels across Australia (including climbers and outdoor adventurers), helping them navigate the unique nutritional demands of this dynamic sport. 

So allow me to give you the low-down on the relationship between climbing and nutrition. For both the indoor professionals and the outdoor adventurers. 

Let’s dive into some of the key essentials of climbing nutrition and what you need to know when it comes to “fuelling your peak” as I very often love to say!

Sports Climbing 101 - The 3 Disciplines

Not all climbs are created equal.
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Sports climbing is an exhilarating mix of strength, strategy, and speed, with three main disciplines showcased at the Olympic and World Championship level: Bouldering, Lead Climbing, and Speed Climbing. 
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Each discipline has its own unique demands on the body, requiring climbers to train specific skills and tap into specific energy systems. 
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This means your nutrition should adapt to meet those needs. Let’s take a closer look at each discipline if you need a lil refresher or are new to this sport:

Bouldering: Short Bursts of Rocky Problem-Solving

Bouldering involves climbing short, technical routes (called "problems") on a wall up to 4.5 meters high without ropes. Safety is provided by the thick “crash pads” below cushioning any of your falls (which you will have on rinse and repeat).
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• The Event 101: In competitions, climbers have a set time (usually 4 minutes allocated per problem) to attempt and solve 4 problems (for example, in the Olympic level), with points awarded for reaching specific holds (“zones”) or the top of the boulder.
• Key Demands: Bouldering requires explosive power, precision, and creativity. As a bouldering climber, you will find yourself facing dynamic movements, teeny weeny tiny holds, and overhangs that demand strength output and a good dose of problem-solving skills.

Energy System: Primarily anaerobic, as each climb is short and intense in nature, relying on muscle glycogen and immediate energy reserves from carby intake.

Lead Climbing: The Endurance Challenge

Lead climbing tests a climber’s endurance and strategic thinking as you aim to ascend longer, roped routes on walls up to 15 meters high. 

This is similar to your typical image of an outdoor rock climb and honestly, feel free to use these interchangeably in this blog as the nutrition considerations also apply to outdoor rock climbers and their crag adventures. 

• The Event 101: Climbers have six minutes to climb as high as possible on a single route, with the competition judged based on the highest hold reached (each hold scoring higher the higher you go). Falling ends the attempt so it’s do or…fly. 
• Key Demands: This discipline combines technical skill with muscular and mental endurance. Climbers must conserve energy and plan their movements carefully while battling pump (the stubborn ol muscle fatigue) as you climb higher. 

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Energy System: A mix of aerobic and anaerobic systems, with a focus on sustained energy and delaying fatigue. Muscular endurance with consideration for anaerobic carb demands reign supreme.

Speed Climbing: Sprinting To The Sky

Speed climbing is my favourite sports climbing event and is the adrenaline-junkie of the sports climbing world. Athletes race against the clock (and each other) up a standardized 15-meter wall, with fixed holds and a routine layout.
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• The Event 101: Two climbers compete side-by-side, aiming to reach the top in the fastest time possible. Current world records are jaw-dropping: under 5 seconds for men (watched this one myself, seeing Samuel Watson do it at Paris 2024) and just over 6 seconds for women (by the great Aleksandra Miroslaw). 
• Key Demands: Pure explosive power, fine tuned technique, and reaction speed (good ol reflexes). Climbers must generate maximal force while minimizing errors, as even a small slip can cost them milliseconds which trust me, is enough to make a difference.
• Energy System: Entirely anaerobic, with explosive performance reigning key. Recovery between attempts is crucial as it’s exhausting and you will find yourself needing to be ready for the next “heat”. Oh the heat is on alright haha (and not just in that sweet muscle burn). 

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These 3 main sports climbing disciplines highlight the versatility of sports climbing, from endurance to strength to speed - it all can play a part. 

Whether you’re competing on the world stage or climbing for fun with friends, understanding the unique physical demands of each climbing style and discipline can help you optimize your nutrition and performance - should that be your goal.

Key Nutrition Foundations for Climbers

Fueling for sports climbing involves more than just eating enough—it’s about eating smartly too. Here are some basic starter principles to guide you:
Energy Balance: Climbers require enough energy to fuel their training and competitions while working on improving power, endurance, and recovery. 

However, maintaining a functionally leaner physique can be desired to optimise power to weight ratio (doing so with care as too many climbers seek leanness at all costs, costing themselves health in the pursuit). 
Macronutrient Balance: Carbs, proteins, and fats all play a role - the same as in any sport really. Carbs provide energy, protein supports recovery and muscular prowess, and healthy fats help with hormone balance and potentially fuel longer climbs. 

Calories and macros need to be optimised and align with the given goal of a particular climber. 

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. 

Your needs will depend on your training load, goals, and even your climbing style. This is why it is always ideal to work with a Sports Dietitian if you are wanting to take your climbing to the next level.

Working with a Sports Dietitian can help you create a customized nutrition strategy tailored to your unique climbing style, training load, and goals. 

It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach; personalized nutrition is key to optimizing your performance and supporting your recovery in this physically demanding sport.

Carbohydrates: Your Climbing Power Source

Carbs are your body’s preferred and primary fuel source, making them essential for a climber's body. 

As an expert in sports nutrition for climbers, I recommend adjusting your carbohydrate intake based on your discipline - whether you’re bouldering, lead climbing, or speed climbing. The fundamental focus may be very similar but your approach can vary. 

Whether you’re tackling a short, explosive bouldering problem or speed run. Or even when enduring a longer lead climb, your muscles rely on carbohydrates to generate the energy needed to perform well. 

Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, which serves as a ready-to-use energy reserve - a spare tyre in the boot of your car. 

Once these stores are depleted or subpar from the get-go, fatigue can set in even more quickly, making it harder to sustain performance during a climb or series of climbs.

Carbohydrates can be divided into two main types: simple carbs and complex carbs, each playing a distinct role in sports nutrition:

1. Simple Carbohydrates: These are fast-digesting carbs found in foods like fruit, honey, gels, and sports drinks. They provide a quick burst of energy, making them ideal for fueling just before or during a climb. For example, sipping on a sports drink or snacking on a banana during breaks. 
2. Complex Carbohydrates: Found in foods like whole grains, oats, and potatoes, these carbs release energy more slowly, making them more suited for pre-climb meals (2-3+ hours out) or recovery meals. The fibre content means it’s best consumed away from climbs when easier-to-digest carbs can be more helpful and reduce the risk of tummy upset. 

Balancing these two types of carbs is key. Some carbs are “complex” by definition but are easy to digest and can be therefore used as an easy-to-digest source of carbs nearer actual climbing (eg white bread or corn thins).

In a generalised nutshell (that should not be seen as advice), look at it as using complex carbs as part of your regular diet to maintain health and glycogen stores while integrating simple carbs strategically for an energy boost and carb top-up when you need it most.
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With the right carbohydrate strategy, you’ll likely see climbing improvements, setting yourself up for peak performance on the wall and boulder.
A Sports Dietitian for climbers can help you with this. Reach out if you are interested.

Hydrate Yo Self: “Hold” On.. You Need Water

Dehydration can sap your strength and compromise your grip - two things no climber wants to happen. 

You need to work on your fluid strategy as it can not only directly impact performance but can lead to safety issues - especially if you do your climbing outdoors in the elements with fewer safety nets. 

However, it is not just the physical. Mental acuity relies on hydration and therefore you should be drinking enough fluids so that you can make the right decisions when sports climbing. 

Climbing is uniquely reliant on both physical and mental performance being in gear at all times due to the nature of the events and small margins in winning vs. losing. 
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In a nutshell, not enough water can lead to cramps, mental slips, and grip issues….try win at climbing when those 3 are playing keep-away.

Pre, During, and Post-Climb Nutrition 101

Each discipline in sports climbing has it’s own unique needs but in general nutrition fundamentals for all climbing can follow similar themes so here is some basic insight into considerations at each stage of a climb: pre, during, and post. 

Pre-Climb: All climbing disciplines involve some sort of explosive activity or movement - meaning you need quick bursts of pure power and energy. Enter carbs. You want your muscles and mind to effectively and efficiently use energy during training bouts and during a competitive climb. 

Some examples:

• Fruit / Dried fruit
• Cliff bar / Sports drink / Gel
• Bread and honey
• Corn thins and jam
• Crackers and light dip

During Climb: During a climb (which for the sake of argument will mean anything consumed between the time of starting to first climb and finishing for the day), the two focuses become hydration and carbs. 

Hydration is important to help reduce risk of cramps and grip issues, namely because it helps with blood flow and muscular function. Carbs become important if the climb is particularly longer (eg spending a day out on the crags) or in between sprints during indoor wall training, for example. 

Some examples:

• Fruit / Dried fruit
• Cliff bar / Sports drink / Gel
• Corn or rice thins
• Flavoured milk (low fat ideally)

Post-Climb: Post-climb becomes a strategy of refuelling, replenishing, and recovering. This is when protein, fats, and colourful micronutrient-rich plants come out to hang out with the carbs that got the spotlight earlier. 

Muscular fatigue from all the holds during a climbing session means that muscular recovery needs to kick off. Protein to the rescue. 

The easiest way to think about it is: time it so that you eat a decent complete macro balanced meal within 1-2 hours after your climb to start the recovery and replenishment process. 

Some examples:

• Roast chicken and rice with greens
• Grilled salmon with sweet potato and asparagus
• Meat and salad sandwich or wrap
• Flavoured milk and fruit
• Spag bol
• Sushi ​

Recap

Think of your nutrition as the other chalk bag for your climb - it’s the foundation that helps you perform at your peak level and climb to your potential. 

Remember: Nutrition plays a crucial role in your success as a sports climber, whether you're focused on bouldering, lead, or speed climbing. Even if you are a rock climber or boulderer in the outdoors, these principles and fundamentals will apply to you.  

Ultimately, understanding your body's nutritional needs and tailoring your diet to support your climbing goals will help you climb better, faster, and smarter, and with less risk of injury. 
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When you fuel your body the right way, you could say the sky (or wall…) is the limit.
Nutrition for climbing can be complex, but with the right guidance, it can be a lot easier!

Need Help Figuring Out This Nutrition Thing and Climb Higher?  Let’s Work Together!

Nutrition for climbing is personal and technical - requiring a customised approach.
As we’ve discussed, the right nutrition can make a world of difference in your climbing performance. 

Whether you're tackling your first climb or aiming for a personal best in your chosen sports climbing discipline, a tailored nutrition strategy can help you climb better, recover faster, and reach new heights. 

So if you’re ready to take your climbing to the next level, contact me now at The Climbing Dietitian to discuss your nutrition coaching options or book a nutrition consultation to get started. 

Perhaps it is time to have a Sports Dietitian for climbing  in your corner. 
Let me take out the guesswork. 

Simply email me at: [email protected] or go to my contact form to have a chat about this and see if we are a good fit to work together and get you your best results yet. 

Or to apply now to see if you are a good fit, simply CLICK HERE and start the process for reaching your peak potential and getting the body you feel happier, healthier, and more confident in.

Sports Dietitian and Coach Aleksa

Brisbane Sports Dietitian and Nutritionist