As climbers we are always looking for something that will give us an edge, that extra little bit to get us up our projects. Whether its different types of training or tinkering with diet, climbers are will to try just about anything. So what about taking extra vitamins and minerals?
Brian Rigby of Climbing Nutrition wrote an article examining whether or not consuming vitamin and mineral supplements could have positive performance enhancing effects for climbers.
“There is a surprisingly common notion in the world of sport that athletes have higher requirements for certain vitamins and minerals. At some point, someone even dreamed up a “performance daily intake” (or PDI), which is meant to replace the RDA for active individuals.”
“To cut to the chase, this idea is 99% false (and the PDI is 100% pseudoscience). By and large, climbers and athletes at large do not have greater needs for vitamins and minerals—but there are possibly a few climbers should keep an eye on.” – Brian Rigby
In his article, Brian goes into depth about why he believes PDI is pseudoscience and why larger vitamin and mineral consumption will not increase performance. He does, however, suggest that for some climbers there are two possible exceptions:
- Iron
- Sodium
Ultimately though, Brian believes that these exceptions do not even apply to the vast majority of climbers and that if you continue to eat a healthy, balanced diet you will meet all your vitamin and mineral needs. So before you head out and spend a bunch of money on vitamin and mineral supplements, click through bellow to check out the whole article.
Also remember if you are looking for more information about how to properly fuel your climbing check out our Nutrition Guide by Aicacia Young of climbhealty.com
Click Here: Do Climbers Need Extra Vitamins and Minerals
(photo courtesy of climbingnutrition.com)
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- What Every Vegetarian (and Vegan) Should Know
- The Dangers of Eating Too Little and Climbing Too Much
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