Dru– it wasn’t zinc.  I have to get the book and look it up, but his point was, there are loads of micro-nutirents (and bacteria) which are basically absent from modern diets.  Many of these add up to make deficiencies which have to be remedied by taking specific supplelments.

The RDA (both minimum and maximum) for different vitamins and minerals has been revised several times, (the Canadian one has been updated since 2000) and is scientifically based.

Most athletes take minerals and supplements because of the arms race factor.. the competition is doing it and we should too, in case it helps. But there’s no evidence that it actually does help. Anmd there’s no standardization of supplementation in top athletes - it’s almost random. Put another way, Sharma takes bee pollen and eats raw eggs… Nicole eats cheeseburgers… they both send V15.

Tina…….

Most of the suggestions being made here are reasonable - you could change your training routine (or start training? - not clear from your post), you could regulate/modify your diet and add supplements - the problem being, it’s difficult to provide truley constructive information/ideas without a little more information……….

What grade of climb are you pumping out on?

Is there a specific type of hold/grip that pumps you out quickly?

Are you currently doing any sort of formalised training?

What type of climbing are we talking about and what are your objectives (trad, sport, TR, (onsight, red point))?

Based on the information you did provide in your post maybe the question you should answer first is - what are you doing differently/what about your daily routine have you changed? (you said that pumping out was a new problem)

And please……….i’m not trying to pick on you, just suggesting that answering the questions above would allow people to provide some tips and tricks that you could actually make use of……..

I appreciate all the responses, as I am very frustrated about this new problem.

History:  I have been climbing for 7 years, 5.9 Trad and tend to only climb 11’s sport.  I could work a 12 and eventually send, but much prefer climbing at my comfort level.  When I do train at the gym, I usually climb about 8-10 top ropes, working from 8’s - 11’s.  I will then Lead two climbs, a 9 if available and then finish on a 10.  I will admitt that I do not warm down enough, but I don’t think that my warm down is causing the pump.  Large holds cause me no problems, I can shake out and move along.  When things get thinner is when I just can not recover.  I milk every hold I can, but am starting to think that maybe I am spending to much time on the wall. 

That is my back ground, my warm up is fine, and I climb in the gym twice a week and either boulder or climb routes on the weekend.  I am dumbfounded.  All of the advice given to me to this point is good, but I am quite aware of all these techniques.  Can someone elaborate on something refered to as pulse gripping?

Tina– Ok,. you’re going to hate this, but I have to tell it anyway.  A friend of mine went to kentucy to climb.    This guy has sport climbed a fair bit but at the time his hardest send was an 11a on bolts.  Also he works as a machinist so he has long hours and not  much climbing time.  Oh yeah and he smokes.  After a 2 stopover, red-eye all-nighter, car rental hassles, etc, they arrived at the crag at about 11 a.m., bleary-eyed, and went out for a look.  he decided, what the hell, let’s try something.  He onsighted a route.  A few days later they got a guidebook…and it was a 12b!  No training, no sleep, no food…