Supplements for training

I have never been into supplements, but having a hard time with recovery this 35th year of my life, and I am becoming more open to trying some if they work. What are some good ones for climbing specific training? Most I read about are for muscle growth, big enough, don't want to be bigger, just want something to help with the aches and pains. Suggestions?

Make sure you are getting adequate protein and carbs after training. The sooner you refill those glycogen stores, the better. Starches are your best friend right after training. Potatoes without the skin, white rice, yams, etc. And some protein, hardboiled eggs are helpful here, they are very portable. Fruit is ok as a last resort but you want glucose, not fructose in this window if you can manage it. This will help refill muscle glycogen stores, rather than going into liver stores. I usually take some mashed sweet potato(you can even get it already mashed in a can) mixed with applesauce for some sweetness and texture. And a hardboiled egg or two. If you are going to eat a meal right after training, just make sure it has protein, starch, and little fat since fat slows digestion and you don't want this in your post training window.

BCAA's help immensely, Gnarly Nutrition has excellent ones that don't have any artificial crud in them. They will not make you get bigger, especially if that is not what your training is focused on. I have found that consuming them during my training, I feel much less sore the next day. Here is a great article regarding them: gognarly.com/bcaas-what-are…

Another thing that has helped me a lot is taking Natural Calm drink mix at night before bed. It is just a magnesium mix, stir it into water and drink right before bed. You will sleep better and I have found recover better as a result.

Please note, while I have submitted for my Sports Nutrition Certification which I should have by April, I am not yet certified and I am certainly not a doctor, so please use your own discretion and speak with your physician regarding supplements and how they may interact with any other medications or conditions that may apply to you.

Also, foam rolling and stretching help a lot as well. Trainingbeta.com posted a foam rolling for climbers workout you may want to check out. I have also had a lot of friends say dry needling, and chiro/massage care helped IMMENSELY. You could look into that as well.

Good Luck!

I'm 58 yrs old, lift weights 3-5x per week (and go heavy) and climb weekly during the warm months.

I take Ginger Root and Tumeric capsules, BCCAs and fish oil and they all help with my joint and tendon issues.
Not miraculous but definite benefit.

I try to avoid taking medications and only rarely take ibuprofen if I really hurt.

Jim Fox wrote:I'm 58 yrs old, lift weights 3-5x per week (and go heavy) and climb weekly during the warm months. I take Ginger Root and Tumeric capsules, BCCAs and fish oil and they all help with my joint and tendon issues. Not miraculous but definite benefit. I try to avoid taking medications and only rarely take ibuprofen if I really hurt.

Oops, meant BCAAs...

Glucosamine

Which supplements actually work?

Different article with a larger image of the infographic.

Marc801 wrote: Which supplements actually work? Different article with a larger image of the infographic.

Graphic is a little busy but pretty good.

I've not had any benefit from glucosamine in past but some people swear by it. The medical literature on glucosamine is inconclusive but if it works for you, great.
Proper nutrition really negates the need to take a lot of vitamins and minerals but many people don't eat right, so a good multivitamin might be helpful.

First fix your diet - say that 3 times before you worry about supplements. Then do some reading, there is some unexaggerated information out there if you dig. Cover the basics with a multi vitamin/mineral - then add some extra oils - D3 in the winter for most of us. Then consider the "what you are trying to fix". For example, a skin problem will require something different than say "deep fatigue" or joint pain. Then add one thing at a time and see what happens. If you all of a sudden add 5 different things and feel better - how do you know what worked and what had no effect? Beware of the super hype and outlandish claims - cover the basics.

I'm also 35, and I love this stuff.

mikesmixrecoverydrink.com/

Chris Rice wrote:First fix your diet - say that 3 times before you worry about supplements. Then do some reading, there is some unexaggerated information out there if you dig. Cover the basics with a multi vitamin/mineral - then add some extra oils - D3 in the winter for most of us. Then consider the "what you are trying to fix". For example, a skin problem will require something different than say "deep fatigue" or joint pain. Then add one thing at a time and see what happens. If you all of a sudden add 5 different things and feel better - how do you know what worked and what had no effect? Beware of the super hype and outlandish claims - cover the basics.

+1
I'll add: treat with high suspicion any supplement that relies on testimonials to demonstrate efficacy. Testimonials are bull shit, as is anything that advertises itself as a means to "detox" or "cleanse".

Vitamin D. Even if you spend a lot of time outside you may still be deficient.

Marc801 wrote: +1 I'll add: treat with high suspicion any supplement that relies on testimonials to demonstrate efficacy. Testimonials are bull shit, as is anything that advertises itself as a means to "detox" or "cleanse".

I'm an MD and I often find it difficult to sort through all the misinformation out there regarding supplements but I agree with Marc's comments. I would recomend avoiding any product that seems "too good to be true". Use common sense and realize that proper nutrition is paramount and supplements are not always beneficial or necessary.

William, I will give you a list of what I am taking and what works for me but understand I do not claim to be any type of expert or nutritional guru. You must plough your own field.
About me. I am 44 yrs old and going through that mid life crisis. A year ago I was an overweight 208lbs at 5ft 9. I climbed occasionally and partied often with a fair to high amount of alcohol in my diet. Surprise surprise an onset of high blood pressure!
Now just over a year later I rarely drink (huge benefit) I eat well and train 4-5 times a week. I predominately train upper body with a leg day thrown in to not be disproportionate. I climb 2 x a week in the summer and once a week on ice in the winter. These would normally replace gym days.
Ok supplements.
Mornings a protein powder shake made with milk and a small dose of frozen fruit in a blender. 2 500mg Calcium/vitamin D gummies by vitafusion. 1 Centrum Multivitamin. 1 500mg Omega-3 Fish oil capsule. 1 400 iu Vitamin E capsule. 2 Creatine 4200 Capsules Met-Rx. 1 BCAA 2200 Capsule Met Rx.
Pre workout - Muscle milk pre made protein shake 20 grams of protein. 2 Creatine capsules. 1 BCAA 2200 capsule.
Post workout - 2 Creatine capsules. 2 BCAA capsules. 1 500mg Omega-3 Fish oil. 2 Vitamin C gummies. Plenty of water.
Nothing replaces a healthy diet! But these for sure help my post workout recovery. The introduction of creatine saw the biggest response for me. My muscle recovery in undoubtedly quicker. I can do more reps before fatigue sets in. My climbing has gone from 5.8 to 5.11 and I am stronger, however I attribute it all to the overall package of lifestyle change. Guy's of a similar age in my gym seem to take a similar set of supplements.
Supplements that didn't work for me were an over the counter six star testosterone booster. It gave me mood swings and skin spots on my chest :(
Fury- workout pump. I never saw a benefit.
I know that you said you don't want to be bigger but it kinda happens if you really stick to the lifting and supplements. I initially dropped down to 181 lbs but am now back up to 193 lbs but semi ripped. I am conscious that I need to drop 8-10 lbs for this climbing season. More cardio and cut the calories. Climb on.

MK677 if you're 35

Thanks for all the suggestions, i found a BCAA powder specifically for post-workout that I have been using for a week and have noticed an increase in energy levels and a decline in muscle soreness the day after pushing it hard.

Fish oil make a difference with the joints?

I don't feel that fish oil helps my joints but it is beneficial for many other things:

webmd.com/vitamins-suppleme…

I take turmeric and ginger root capsules for my joints and they help me. I'm not usually a fan of herbs and such but these 2 things work and don't have the side effects of taking ibuprofen all the time (which I used to do)

Jim Fox wrote:I take turmeric and ginger root capsules for my joints and they help me. I'm not usually a fan of herbs and such but these 2 things work and don't have the side effects of taking ibuprofen all the time (which I used to do)

Actually, they don't help at all. While initial studies showed some potential in certain highly specific situations, recent research shows that you cannot achieve a high enough dosage from dietary turmeric and ginger to make a difference. You may believe they help since the placebo effect is incredibly strong, but all you're doing is giving your money to supplement manufacturers.

^^^
Actually in capsule form, turmeric supplements have piperine (black pepper active ingredient). Piperine increases bioavailability of curcumin 2000%: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/961…

I consumed a lot of turmeric when I had an injury and I could tell the difference on the days I skipped it. I've acquired a taste for it (up to 2 big tablespponfulls in my morning yogurt/granola), so I may have built it up in my system. Or even if it was a placebo effect, hey it was the culinary powder so it didn't cost me that much. I add a little black pepper to it to increase bioavailability and consuming with yogurt takes care of the fat solubility.

But I'm with you re: supplements, Marc. I feel like they're just waste of money since close to 100% of them get passed through urine anyway. I prefer getting my nutrition through diet. For Omega-3s, avocados are a great source if you can't afford fish all the time and/or you are concerned about over-fishing. The cheapest best source for Omega-3s is flaxseeds though.

Chris Rice wrote:First fix your diet - say that 3 times before you worry about supplements. Then do some reading, there is some unexaggerated information out there if you dig. Cover the basics with a multi vitamin/mineral - then add some extra oils - D3 in the winter for most of us. Then consider the "what you are trying to fix". For example, a skin problem will require something different than say "deep fatigue" or joint pain. Then add one thing at a time and see what happens. If you all of a sudden add 5 different things and feel better - how do you know what worked and what had no effect? Beware of the super hype and outlandish claims - cover the basics.

Awesome to see straight up basic advice. I'd add to look at some of the dietary assumptions that we all make. Like your caffeine and alcohol intake. I understand that everyone needs a vice or two. But depending on your motivation those 2 variables can have a huge impact on cortisol levels and recovery.

The next immediate thing to take care of is sleep/stress. It's difficult to recover well if you're simply being stressed by life and not getting enough sleep. I realize that this isn't something that we always have control over, but throwing it out there.

After that I'd say it's a toss up between dietary supps or taking those financial resources and just getting some maintenance care from a good therapist. Massage is tried and true. As a therapist I've found that dry needling works extremely well for most of my clients.
cheers,
BA

Also it would probably be worth getting some professional advice and see if there's not a few supplementary exercises that you could add to your training routine to help even out any imbalances. (this is assuming that you haven't done this already, or don't have a structured self care program in place.)

drweil.com/drw/u/ART03001/T…

Lots of conflicting info out there. Dr. Weil is pretty knowledgeable about such things.
Tumeric seems to help me. Could be "placebo" but I've tried some other things that clearly didn't work and I fully expected them to work, so one would expect a placebo effect there as well.
Lots of opinions out there and it's never black and white.

The only supplement that is unequivocally proven to work is food.

So unless your diet is already perfect, I would spend your energy learning to eat better.