In reply to stp:
> However since we don't just want protein I don't think it represents the best value.
You've actually hit on something really crucial there, particularly for climbers: calories.
Protein-to-calorie ratio is actually a key advantage of protein-dense powders. Very few if any whole foodstuffs contain protein in that kind of fraction (>75%). This means that inevitably when you consume whole foods, you are concurrently getting extra, non-protein calories, from carbs and / or fat.
The whole foods with the highest protein densities are cheeses, lean dried meats and fish. Taking something like gouda for example, consuming enough cheese (around 100g) for a reasonable 'dose' of PRO (around 25g) will net you 350kCal. That's a lot! And it's a lot of cheese...
A 75kg person with reasonably normal body composition (i.e. not morbidly obese) who is training meaningfully, requires around 6 times this amount of protein daily. Of course you're not suggesting gouda as the only source of protein, but even mixing the food sources up means you will consume an awful lot of extra calories if you're trying to obtain all protein from whole-food sources. Take turkey, a widely accepted lean source of protein. 100g will net 29g PRO, and about 190kCal.
Even if you could hack eating half a kilo of dry turkey meat daily, you'd still be taking in around 1200kCal. That's presumably in addition to a normal-ish diet containing carbs, fats and essential micronutrients. Given a lean-ish 75kg person looking to gain lean mass will require around 2000kCal daily, even the turkey means cutting back a lot on other essential dietary intake.
Some trainees don't give a stuff about calories. Certain old-school approaches to bodybuilding and strength sport advocate bulking, in which the extra calorific value of foods is considered an advantage in supporting higher training volumes. The implication of course is increased non-lean body mass i.e. fat. Climbers however are of course highly dependent on power-to-weight ratios and body composition, so excess calories must be avoided as far as possible while supporting muscle growth.
The point I'm trying to make is that, if one accepts the research on what's required to support muscle maintenance and growth, concentrated protein powders such as whey, casein and even soya, offer a solution in three key areas: cost, calories and convenience.
Disadvantages are that they generally taste pretty rubbish, particularly if (as I do) you mix them only with water, and they can also lead to excess gas. I've found daily kefir fixes the latter problem.
In reply to stp and Hay:
As to whether climbers 'need' these levels of protein, the research bears out the physiological facts as regards muscle maintenance and growth, climbers are no different to anyone here. However climbing is a deeply complex activity, and even at the most athletically rigorous extremes of the sport, is also massively skill-dependent. One could theoretically see excellent progress even while losing muscle mass, as many climbing moves will be made significantly easier with good technique, improved core strength, and increased flexibility and mobility.
Climbing is not strength-dependent in the way that powerlifting is. And much of the brute strength required for many individual moves can be found with increased neural efficiencies (recruitment and motor unit firing rate). Think for example of a handstand. Plenty of very strong folks cannot do one to save their lives, yet more advanced yoga practitioners can do them with ease. That's not because the yogis are light (some aren't): it's because they are using their muscle mass efficiently, and have practiced the skill i.e. the neural element repeatedly.
Also, as you rightly point out, climbers tend to find themselves limited by finger strength. I'm not aware of any research into the specific protein intakes required to support forearm muscle maintenance and growth, however again much of the strength required here is built with existing muscle. And yes, limitations in such will absolutely limit the stress on the larger muscle groups: simply by preventing further progress and limiting overall volume. If a climber was concerned about that they could of course do laps on jugs using big, powerful or awkward moves at the end of a session.
Specifically as relates to climbing, efficiently-utilised lean mass, particularly in the core and upper body, will certainly help an technical and mobile climber to progress much, much further. Someone who is letting their protein intake slip, and thus becoming chronically catabolic may see OK progress thanks to skill acquisition, however ultimately the sliding scale of strength to skill will meet in the middle and the climber will plateau.
In brief, if you're tired or sore at any point after a climbing session, you need to recover. Recovery is supported by rest, regeneration of energy substrates, and muscular anabolism (growth) using amino acids from dietary protein.
Climbers also need to support their body composition for the exact same reasons humans do in general: lean mass is protective and enabling in a multitude of ways in daily life. The research is moving toward a consensus on this:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171101102846.htm
And protein supplementation may be key in preventing excessive oxidative stress, a massive factor in biological ageing. Abstract from a paper published in the Royal Society B:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/360/1464/2355.long
'In several clinical trials, cysteine supplementation improved skeletal muscle functions, decreased the body fat/lean body mass ratio, decreased plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor ? (TNF-?), improved immune functions, and increased plasma albumin levels.
As all these parameters degenerate with age, these findings suggest: (i) that loss of youth, health and quality of life may be partly explained by a deficit in cysteine and (ii) that the dietary consumption of cysteine is generally suboptimal and everybody is likely to have a cysteine deficiency sooner or later...'
Post edited at 09:09