UKC

Can anyone recommend any nutrition/recipe books tailored towards someone that is climbing a lot, and wants to climb a bit harder. I can see a few books out there online and just wanted to hear if there is any you particularly recommend.  Going away this winter sport climbing and want to start paying better attention towards my diet and hopefully see how a better diet can improve climbing performance. 

Don’t want a book that’s too geeky with nutrition and training , just a book with simple and easy recipes to follow. Last year our winter diet in France and Spain have consisted of lunches of baguettes, cheese, crisps, peanuts and coke mostly... which while nice I’m sure isn’t going to help our goal to try a bit harder this year and hopefully climb higher grades. Usually we have lunch and then we are ready for a nap, lunch legs isn’t ideal! 

While not specifically climbing related, Joe Wicks' books are aimed at people trying to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. The one we have (I can't recall the title i'm afraid) splits recipes into different categories for different occasions, so you can choose between recovery/high energy/rest day/weight loss recipes, it's quite handy.

The best bit about buying one of his books over looking him up on youtube is that you don't have to listen to his irritating voice...

This is the one I've always used:

https://www.amazon.com/Lard-Cooking-Grandmothers-Secret-Ingredient/dp/14494...

... which probably explains a lot

This article seems pretty sound and covers the basics:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/lets_talk_e_numbers_climbing_nut...

In my experience and from what I've heard anecdotally, people vary a lot in terms of what their bodies respond best to, especially when it comes to quantities of carbs and fats. Some people seem to thrive on being vegan, other find it's disastrous for them, and so on.

So you may need to experiment to establish what works best for you. Though "drink water and make sure you eat enough protein and vegetables" is a good start for most people.

Once you've got a rough idea of what you want to aim for, Google is your friend for recipes. Realizing I could Google "[ingredient x] [ingredient y] recipe" changed my life.

The lunch of champions, carbs, protein and fat with a bit of sugar, what's not to like !

I'd be surprised if there was anything published specifically for climbing but any sport orientated diet/cook book will do the job, after all its not really that hard to get your head around what's good vs bad.

"6. The British baguette slump

Boy do I love those brie and chorizo baguettes, but feasting on a mountain of food between climbs will shut you down instantly – overloading your digestive system leads to lethargic siesta feelings and a slump. Lunchtime slowdown is one of the most common issues I see us Brits suffer from, but at least it’s one of the easiest to fix.

If you really love the baguette and can’t do without, simply chop it into four bits and eat them over the course of the day. It’s great because you get to eat all day long and still climb hard."

That's a quote from Steve McClure.

In terms of recipes, check out Mani the Monkey's channel on youtube, he has a playlist called efficient cuisine, which could give you some ideas.

The lunch of champignons, surely?