|
|
|
|
adeptus
Feb 15, 2004, 9:32 AM
Post #1 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 17, 2002
Posts: 322
|
Is it possible that drinking alcohol will make you a stronger climber?
It sounds ridicules, but British climbers have done this for decades and in fact it seems that the best climbers were the ones drinking the most beer. Usually drinking beer is bad for an athlete who trains for running or other aerobic sports because it makes you less fit. But beer causes the lever to work a lot to break down the alcohol. This could in fact be view as a training of the levers ability to remove waste products such as the lactic acid, which builds up when you’re doing anaerobic work (power).
“… endurance and strength training are opposites, so excessive aerobic training should be viewed as an enemy of anyone pursuing maximum strength.” -Eric Hörst in Training for climbing page 67 about endurance.
Edit - This is my conclusion so far:
Alcohol’s effect on cardiovascular endurance (aerobic exercise) is negative. You will temporarily lose up to 15% of your VO2-max after consuming alcohol, which would also affect your climbing endurance. Never drink alcohol within two hours after exercise, as it would hinder the recovery of the muscles (alcohol inhibits muscular protein synthesis). Instead eat or drink high glycemic index carbohydrates right after exercise.
Anaerobic exercise on the other hand will not be affected by alcohol consumption (proven in research). When working above your anaerobic threshold lactic acid is generated faster than the liver can metabolize it and this leads to what climbers refer to as getting pumped. Through repeated exercise above this threshold the liver’s ability to remove lactate increases. The interesting part is that lactate and alcohol metabolize through the same process in the liver.
So I would go as far as to postulate that you can increase your anaerobic threshold by consuming alcohol, though I don’t know how often it should be consumed or in what quantities.
What do you think?
|
|
|
|
|
justin
Feb 15, 2004, 10:40 AM
Post #2 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 20, 2003
Posts: 196
|
well, it's 10:40am here and I like your theory, but I'd imagine the negatives would neutralise or cancel the positives. in my mispent youth I had a climbing partner called Herbert. I have political ambitions and didn't inhale though.
|
|
|
|
|
federicosuave
Feb 15, 2004, 2:18 PM
Post #3 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 1, 2003
Posts: 19
|
Interesting you should bring this up...
The other day, I had a couple beers with lunch at 3:30, and then climbed at 6:00. I wasn't drunk by any means (in fact, I didn't even feel buzzed at that point). But in any case, I had one of the best days that I've had in the past few months.
Of course, I think I'm begining to peak right now, as I've been having a lot of good days recently, but still, makes you wonder...
|
|
|
|
|
delarig
Feb 15, 2004, 6:08 PM
Post #4 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 10, 2004
Posts: 167
|
For my sake, I hope you are right...
|
|
|
|
|
deleted
Deleted
Feb 15, 2004, 7:15 PM
Post #5 of 60
(13996 views)
Shortcut
Registered:
Posts:
|
of course the best climbers are the ones drinking the most beers. that's because being a good climber has almost nothing to do with physical ability. it's all mental. and because it is all mental, being able to relax and have a good time makes you more mentally strong. when you are having fun, you're not worried about anything. when you're not worried about anything, you crank. duh.
this also applies to everything else in life. drinking beer makes you a normal person...one more reason to stay away from mormons....
|
|
|
|
|
the_pirate
Feb 15, 2004, 10:45 PM
Post #6 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 20, 2003
Posts: 3984
|
In reply to: beer causes the lever to work a lot to break down the alcohol. This could in fact be view as a training of the levers ability to remove waste products such as the lactic acid, What do you think?
I think that if it's a first or second class lever, you won't see much benefit. A third class lever, however can greatly improve your mechanical advantage.
Sober up, pal.
|
|
|
|
|
kman
Feb 15, 2004, 10:52 PM
Post #7 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 16, 2001
Posts: 2561
|
When you've got your buzz on you probably only think you are doing better.
|
|
|
|
|
captianstatic
Feb 15, 2004, 11:10 PM
Post #8 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: 47
|
I sent millepede, my best boulder send yet, after four beers and a marijuajna brownie. I doubt I could have climbed better on a sport/trad route, but I support the theory
|
|
|
|
|
muncher
Feb 15, 2004, 11:18 PM
Post #9 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 5, 2003
Posts: 454
|
I guess i could help if it helps you relax but there are far better ways to relax than beer and hey, since when did drinking beer calm people down? Maybe you should try some herbal remedies, it is waaaaaay better climbing baked than drunk. For me anyway, i can't do much at all drunk but can surf and climb fine after a few hot ones.
As for your liver, just check any old alcoholics liver out. They have had years of practive getting their liver to remove wastes and just look at how healthy they are now.
As for the Pom hardmen of old. Lets just face it, we are all just lightweights that have no hope of even getting close to matching their liefestyle and acheivements. They may have become boring old gits but imagine what they could have done if they stayed off it. Unfortunately things change, the bar gets raised, people have to work that much harder, look at any sport and see what the althletes have to put themselves through now to make a name for themselves. It is a shame but that is what is has come to.
As veteran profesional surfer and A grade drinker Simon Anderson advised the young Damien Hardmen on his first year on the tour, drink as much beer as you can, just don't dance. Sound advice indeed. Then again, I rarely drink now days, I just like getting baked too much.
|
|
|
|
|
muncher
Feb 15, 2004, 11:22 PM
Post #10 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 5, 2003
Posts: 454
|
In reply to: I sent millepede, my best boulder send yet, after four beers and a marijuajna brownie. I doubt I could have climbed better on a sport/trad route, but I support the theory
I hope you waited until the brownie kicked in. Otherwise I'm sorry but that tick is worthless. Got me thinking though, I haven't had a cake day for a while, nothing waking up, munching a bit down and there you are, set for the day. Just wait for an hour or so and hope that you didn't eat too much.
Another word of advice, take the herbs before the beers mate, your asking for trouble the other way around.
|
|
|
|
|
captianstatic
Feb 15, 2004, 11:29 PM
Post #11 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: 47
|
yeah I had given up on the problem, ate the brownie, waited bout an hour had a couple beers and went back to help spot a friend and put it down with authority on my first try.
|
|
|
|
|
muncher
Feb 15, 2004, 11:46 PM
Post #12 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 5, 2003
Posts: 454
|
So the question is, what helped the most, beers or dope?
|
|
|
|
|
stonefiend
Feb 16, 2004, 12:42 AM
Post #13 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 28, 2002
Posts: 88
|
from 10 years experience combining mind altering substances with bouldering.. won't rope up intoxicated.. i'd say, timing is essential. i usually climb better when i'm not drunk, but perhaps right after 2-3 beers, my psyche and flow of calories helps me crank for maybe a half hour to an hour, after which i feel pretty worked. it helps less on very physical problems, but on technical slabs, it seems to do the trick.. particularly since i'm hella highstrung and shaky. beer after a hard session seems to make me more sore the next day than when i'm properly hydrated.
herb, on another note seems to make me more tired and less coordinated in general, but on days that i prefer not to climb at my limit, it helps me get motivated to hop on moderates. it also allows me to escape the obsessiveness i tend to aqcuire whilst bouldering and helps me enjoy other attributes of the natural wonders around me. with regard to mental performance it's a tossup.. some days, i'm super close to sending a proj, yet frustration, anger and impatience keeps me from doing so.. in these situations, a bonghit or 2 occasionally allows me to relax enough to help me pull through. climb-puff-climb, not versa. other days, i just get too relaxed and say "f-it, it'll be here for another day.." which is sometimes the right call given i'm probably pretty thrashed from the session as it is.
but in general, i don't consider beer/herb a performance boosting potion.
|
|
|
|
|
muncher
Feb 16, 2004, 12:48 AM
Post #14 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 5, 2003
Posts: 454
|
Yeah, i agree with you there, for me it's like they can at times enhance the experience but don't do wonders for your perfomance. That said, until this summer I had sent my hardest sport routes after a couple of cones but now, especially when it is warm, it's better to climb the hard stuff straight.
It works for captainstatic though.
|
|
|
|
|
innominato
Feb 16, 2004, 12:49 AM
Post #15 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 19, 2003
Posts: 121
|
I'd say alcohol only helps with climbing if you're using it to wash back a handful of pills.
Also, I'd say that quoting Eric Horst as if the guy actuallly knew what he was talking about is, well ... unfortunate.
|
|
|
|
|
bucephalus
Feb 16, 2004, 5:56 AM
Post #16 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 12, 2004
Posts: 46
|
I'm of the opinion that alcohol is detrimental to climbing, which is a pity, because I love drinking. I always climb like crap when I've had a big night the night before. The thing is, it dehydrates you, so you're not going to be climbing optimally until you're rehydrated.
|
|
|
|
|
hosh
Feb 16, 2004, 8:39 AM
Post #17 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 15, 2003
Posts: 1662
|
I work with kids, most of whom have FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). FAS sucks. It REALLY sucks. Having this job has kinda made me sour to alcohol in general. I don't know that a beer would have any positive effects for climbers, but it has some really lame effects for kids who's moms drank while pregnant. I know that doesn't have much to do with the origianl post, but it's just a good reminder for people (girls) to avoid alcohol while pregnant. It really sucks.
|
|
|
|
|
dangermonkey
Feb 16, 2004, 8:57 AM
Post #18 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 164
|
Pass me a cold one. Beers are also great once after a hard day of climbing. What great news. Maybe that is why I climb so hard.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
|
dangermonkey
Feb 16, 2004, 8:57 AM
Post #19 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 164
|
Pass me a cold one. Beers are also great once after a hard day of climbing. What great news. Maybe that is why I climb so hard.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
|
buzzard
Feb 16, 2004, 12:44 PM
Post #20 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 3, 2003
Posts: 62
|
What the Brits would do id called brain training. They drink a bunch the day before so there heads does not hurt when they are at such a high alltitude.
|
|
|
|
|
bellatoris
Feb 20, 2004, 9:10 PM
Post #21 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 27, 2003
Posts: 187
|
knowing a couple of cold ones are waiting for me always gives me an incentive to climb harder and send quicker!
|
|
|
|
|
dirtineye
Feb 21, 2004, 2:56 PM
Post #22 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 29, 2003
Posts: 5590
|
It's fun to get drunk and gym climb. In fact, that may be the only good use for gym climbing!
|
|
|
|
|
easyclimber
Feb 24, 2004, 8:39 AM
Post #23 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 19, 2004
Posts: 25
|
I dont knwo if it makes you a better climber but from my experiences when you are drinking and it si getting late you start to make yourslef a better climber. All the sudden you can do 5.13's if you normally climb 5.10 level when you have been drinking. Also i noticed if you drink the night before you climb the next days planned climbs goes up in number and in difficultly.
When we were camping once i was told by a good climber thatnormally climbes 5.11 or 5.12 that when he drinks he can climb and level. well at lesat says he can.
|
|
|
|
|
nonick
Feb 24, 2004, 8:56 AM
Post #24 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 28, 2001
Posts: 174
|
i love beer
but its best after the climd. not even the night before.
don whillans might be one of the british climbers the post was referring to..but then he was don whillans, i guess most of us are ordinary mortals around here!
|
|
|
|
|
curt
Feb 24, 2004, 4:43 PM
Post #25 of 60
(14002 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 27, 2002
Posts: 18275
|
Beer and bouldering. Is there really an alternative?
Haha.
Curt
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
