UKC

Yesterday I was happy climbing 5b/c, and we moved crags, in between I had lunch, a few sandwiches, an hour later I was climbing like a moron and couldnt even get up 5a.

This has happened before and I couldnt even manage a severe after a lunchstop.

What can I do to stop this from happening? my partner doesn't eat, but I get hungry when out for a day, if not on a long multipitch route, but doing lots of different things throughout the day.

Has this happened to anyone else..... is it the food, or the cooling down of the body?

Can anyone explain why?

What is the solution to ths problem?

In reply to peter k:

did you down a six-pack at lunch as well by any chance?

only joking

could be post-lunch body slow-down thingy or just muscles colling off

did you feel different mentally? attitude often has a lot to do with it

In reply to peter k: Be sure to clean off the ketchup or butter/mayo/marge from your fingers after sarnies. I take along wet alcohol based wipes just for that very purpose. Good luck.

In reply to stoney in exile:

NO alcohol..... Did'nt touch a drop!

Im looking for advice not a piss take!!!

Obviously either I stop taking lunches or breaks, but that would f**k me up I think, ca'nt climb all day without eating!!!!!

In reply to peter k:

I rock climb much better on an nearly empty stomach.
i usually just munch through the day with no specific lunch break. ie little and often not a 3 course meal at lunch time !

In reply to peter k:

Eat small amounts , relatively frequently. A wad of sarnies would kill me off for the afternoon, too.

I notice that when I'm out and active, I actually want less than when I'm inactive. I'll typically take 2 rounds of sandwiches, a couple of frusli bars, a banana and an apple for a day out. I usually come back with one sandwich and one frusli bar uneaten, or eaten on the walk-out.

In reply to peter k: the best way of eating when out in the hills - for any activity, climbing, walking etc, is to eat and drink small amounts, constantly throughout the day. You definatly shouldn't wait until you're hungry/thirsty to eat and drink. Eating large amounts, or foods with high sugar contents - leads to the mars-bar syndrome. A sudden rush of energy, followed quite quickly by a real energy downer, as you body works to digest the sugar you've just consumed - coupled with activity, this leads to a sugar deficit in your body which = energy deficit!

In reply to peter k: Which crag did you move, and how far ? No wonder your bloody nackered.











Only joking!

In reply to peter k: Like others have said it's because you've eaten and as such blood,(which =oxygen)is diverted to your stomach to aid in the digestion of your food. As such your muscles don't receive the oxygen they need and don't function as well as they could.

Try eating less more frequently I think is the best way. Or you could do as I used to which is to eat upon arrival then you warm up as body digests your food leaving you to climb like a honed rock god for the rest of the day. My girl friend (the biologist, sorry shouldn't spit) says to leave it an hour after eating then the food will be digested, blah.

In reply to peter k:

Do you like any of the energy poo's (OK NRG Gels). These don't require as much digestion and can be great for keeping energy levels up. I also think sometimes the body goes into a 'OK I've done it' mode when you eat, and psychologically and physically you can't perform at the same level again for a while...

djb

In reply to peter k:

'inconsistent' grading?
first time at the 2nd one?
different style less suited to?
you were thinking about your tea?

wouldn't worry about it

In reply to peter k: and bad karma from being mean to sheep

In reply to peter k:

Perhaps it is too much to expect that we will always climb consistently at the same grade. Few sportspeople perform consistently, there is always variation around some average level - sometimes better than usual, sometimes worse. I suspect that most of us believe that our best performances are indicative of our normal ability, but then we get despondent when we perform below this level.

I climbed like a total wanker when I met you on Sunday, much to my embarrassment (my explanation to myself is that I'd got a bit freaked by reading that article on Alex Zanardi on the drive up).

In reply to peter k: I usually find that i dont eat that much when i'm out climbing, one of the reasons being that once i stop climbing and have a break i usually find that i go off the boil (so to speak).
This is a double edged sword because you know when your climbing crap you try a little harder, then you fail more and then you get all frustrated!!
I usually find that all my technique goes out the window and then just thug my way up the climb in such bad style.
What i find works for me is when you start climbing after a break is go and do something very easy say 3 or 4 grades easier than your best grade. It just takes the pressure of you as well especially if your leading. Failing that go and do a route that your very familiar with, this will put you in the right frame of mind for climbing well.

In reply to peter k:

i dont know if anyone else has written this, and if they have then i apologise for bein lazy and not reading the whole thread, but when you eat your body expends energy to push the food to your stomach and then to produce the acids to digest it. so whilst youve eaten, you must remember a few factors, added mass to your body, your body is already working more than at rest, and yeh your muscles will have cooled down to divert energy to your stomach
so you should always leave at least an hour and a half after a meal before exercising. that way you are not overtaxing your heart and body.

In reply to Stevey Hairy:

When I've been skiing I'm usually even more crap after lunch