Under-fueling: The Ultimate Sandbag

I love trying really freaking hard. I love digging deep, tapping the last reserves, and emptying the tank as I push my limits physically and mentally on the rock. I pursue climbing as a way of life because I enjoy exploring new places, meeting fellow adventure enthusiasts, and playing in the great outdoors. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sport Nutrition at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. My goal is to help athletes use nutrition to maximize their health and performance. Through my studies, I have grown aware of the past inadequacy of my own dietary practices as well as the widespread acceptance of an unhealthy approach to food, diet, and weight throughout the climbing community. In this article, I want to draw attention to the pervasive presence of Low Energy Availability (LEA) among climbers, explain the detrimental effects of LEA, and reframe the conversation around body image and performance.

What is LEA, how does it occur, and why is it a concern?

A recent research study surveyed a sample of climbers regarding their dietary intake and attitudes toward food. The results indicated that 82% of respondents were not consuming enough energy on a daily basis – on average these participants only met 79% of their daily energy needs. Many in the climbing community mistakenly prioritize low body weight and leanness while neglecting the role of food as fuel for optimal performance, growth and development, and long-term health.

Low energy availability occurs when the amount of energy expended through physical activity is greater than the amount of energy taken in from food.

Energy Output > Energy Intake => Low Energy Availability

As a result, the body does not have enough energy to support physiological functions needed to maintain optimal health. LEA can impact athletes whether they are consciously regulating their energy consumption (through chronic calorie restriction, fasting, skipping meals, restricting food groups, and/or using diet pills or laxatives), or whether they are unconsciously under-fueling relative to amount of energy expended through output (training, climbing, and other physical activity). Weight conscious climbers can quickly over-train and under-eat themselves into a state of LEA, leading to the compromise of nearly every system of the body as well as diminished performance capacity.

My experience sandbagging myself with inadequate nutrition:

"I did not yet understand that the mismatch between my energy intake and energy output was harming my health and hindering my performance. So I just kept training harder."

Climbing culture often portrays the ‘ideal’ climber body as skinny and strong, twiggy and toned, light and lean. This representation sets the stage for comparison (“my body image doesn’t match the mold”) and body dissatisfaction (“I need to change the body I have”). To define our terms, body image is the personal interpretation of outward appearance. This can be influenced by context, cultural norms, and the media. Body dissatisfaction occurs when a discrepancy exists between one’s own body image and the perceived ideal body. Research indicates that body dissatisfaction is extremely prevalent among athletes, especially female athletes and those in weight sensitive or aesthetic sports such as climbing, gymnastics, dance, and figure skating. Too often, we fall prey to the notion that becoming a better climber requires commitment to dieting, chronic calorie restriction, and continual weight loss. While gravity is real, it is too simplistic to believe that weight is the determining factor between success or failure.

Anecdotally, I can attest to the prevalence of this widespread body dissatisfaction among climbers. During a semester, I provided individual nutrition counseling to 15 climbers at a local climbing gym. Regardless of current weight or climbing ability, almost everyone reported weight loss as their top nutrition priority. Weight loss makes sense for someone who is overweight or obese, but that was not the case for this population. Nearly everyone reported low energy, inability to complete a training or climbing session without feeling fatigued, and desire to improve performance. Despite acknowledging chronically low energy levels and diminished performance returns, these individuals still reported conscious, long-term restriction of energy intake and avoidance of certain foods or food groups. As a whole, they expressed dissatisfaction with their body and a negative relationship to food.

What would it look like to approach food and body weight from a positive perspective?

"Instead of pursuing a weight loss goal (“I need to lose 5 pounds to be able to climb hard”), choose to focus on a performance goal ('I want to send my project')"