When reducing training in the few days before a hard climb or competition, a corresponding and appropriate reduction in energy intake is necessary in order to avoid sudden weight gain. It is important, however, to maintain the percentage of carbohydrate intake during this period.

Carbohydrate, protein and fat are all digested and absorbed by the body at different rates. It takes about two hours for the energy from carbohydrate to become available, five hours for protein, and eight hours for fats. Protein and fat slow down the absorption of carbohydrate if they are mixed together in a meal.

This knowledge can be used when planning the food intake before training, climbing or competition. For example, eat a meal high in carbohydrate and low in protein and fat two hours before a competition, or eat a breakfast with higher fat and protein before a whole day multi-pitch climbing.

Avoid large doses of refined carbohydrate such as chocolate bars in the last hour or minutes before training/climbing/competing as this affects the functioning of the hormone insulin (which normally controls the level of blood sugar), leading to a more rapid depletion of muscle glycogen.

Muscle glycogen is carbohydrates that are broken down to simple molecules and absorbed during digestion, stored in muscle. It is the principal store of energy during aerobic activity. Glycogen also stored in liver which act as a reserve to muscle glycogen, but are used first during fasting (including not eating while asleep). Liver glycogen stores are rapidly restored by eating carbohydrate, but replenishment of muscle glycogen (after a maximum, prolonged effort) takes about twenty-four hours.

Don't forget that it is important to keep well hydrated both when training and climbing. It is advisable to drink a couple of glasses of water or fruit juice in the hour before training or climbing. After a heavy training or climbing sessions, you may develop a considerable fluid deficit, the stomach can only adsorb about one liter an hour, so aim to fully re-hydrate over several hours.

If competing, the same principles apply. A pre-competition meal should replenish your glycogen stores, make sure you are fully hydrated and help prevent hunger and nausea. If you are likely to compete early on, eat breakfast as above about two to three hours before your turn on the wall. Otherwise eat a bigger breakfast with more protein and fat, and then top up if necessary with high-carbohydrate snack, such as a banana washed down with a glass of skimmed milk or fruit juice, taken at least one-and-a-half hours before competing.

Recovery from the effects of hard competition/climbing/training is a matter of replacing the glycogen fuel stores in your muscles that have been burnt up during effort. To produce the most rapid restocking of glycogen, you need to start replacing it immediately exercise has stopped, by eating carbohydrate-rich snacks or drinking carbohydrate-rich fluids. Even waiting a couple of hours before starting this process can delay recovery and prejudice your performance on the following day.

When recovering from a very big effort, you need to increase your carbohydrate intake to about 10g per kilogram of your body weight over the immediate following twenty-four hours.