What you eat actually changes how your tendons recover, and it can help them get stronger. Tendon nutrition for climbers doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as hangboard protocols or beta, but it’s one of the simplest things you can do to keep your fingers healthy for the long haul.
This is part three of a three part series. If you haven’t read part one on the science of climbers’ tendon injuries and what causes them, and part two on exercises for getting sore tendons stronger, go check those out too so this all fits together.
Today we’re going to talk about what you eat, specifically collagen, in this third part of the interview with Eric Hörst.
The research behind tendon nutrition for climbers
There’s some good research from Dr. Keith out of UC Davis, along with a couple of other research centers that work with athletes rehabbing from injuries like knee surgery. They’ve run lab work and athlete case studies on nutritional interventions that support recovery, the same way we already understand recovery in muscle.
It’s widely accepted that eating protein high in branched chain amino acids is great for muscle recovery. After a hard lifting or climbing session you follow it up with a whey protein shake, either right after or before bed that night.
That works for muscle because branched chain amino acids drive the recovery of the contractile fibers in your muscles. Connective tissue is a different story.
Tendons and ligaments are made of protein too, but they’re roughly two thirds collagen, which comes down to two amino acids: glycine and proline. And whey protein is actually very low in both of those.
What food is good for tendons and ligaments?
The amino acids that make up the protein in our food show up in different proportions depending on what you’re eating. Whey, for example, is high in branched chain amino acids, which is why it’s great for muscle recovery.
The two amino acids that make up most of your connective tissue, though, are in short supply in a lot of foods. Plant based foods and even milk based products tend to be low in glycine and proline.
Meat is rich in those amino acids, but plenty of climbers don’t eat much meat. The richest “normal” food for glycine is pork. So if a climber ate three servings of pork every day, that would genuinely help their connective tissue.
But who’s actually going to do that? It’s not realistic.
That’s where a hydrolyzed collagen supplement comes in, like the Supercharged Collagen from PhysiVantage (a company Eric Hörst founded). Hörst describes it as the richest source you can get of those two amino acids that build ligaments and tendons, even ahead of pork.
Plus it’s easy to take. You just drop a scoop into water, juice, or any other drink and down it. That gives you a spike of glycine and proline, the two key amino acids, in your bloodstream where your connective tissue can put them to use.
The best time to consume collagen
Connective tissue gets fed by the loading process. If you take collagen about an hour before you load your tendons, that’s the evidence-based way to best support collagen synthesis in your tendons and ligaments.
If you’re rehabbing an ACL surgery in your knee, you’d take it and then do jump rope or your knee rehab about an hour later. For a finger injury or a sore finger, you’d take it before your rehab exercises, like squeezing a tennis ball or working through some light finger taping and loading work.
Thousands of healthy climbers who want to stay ahead of injury take it an hour before they hit the gym, or they mix it in a shaker bottle and sip it through their warm up at the gym or the crag, so they get that spike of amino acids into their bloodstream.
As they start climbing, they hit that goal of pairing the nutrition with the loading, which is what’s been shown to give the best results.
If you want to learn more, go to PhysiVantage.com
Some people won’t benefit from collagen
Here’s the catch: if you’re not training right and you’re not making a real effort to eat right, a supplement isn’t going to save you. It’s not a magic bullet that makes up for bad training and bad diet. In that situation it’s honestly a waste of money.
But for someone who’s already trying to train properly and eat well, products like collagen before you train and whey protein before bed can make things a little better.
One more thing, and it matters on a topic like this: none of this replaces advice from a doctor, physical therapist, or registered dietitian, especially if you’re rehabbing a real injury. Treat it as a starting point and check with a pro before you build a supplement routine around it.
Now what?
A lot of the time we only talk about this stuff through trial, error, and injury. Getting ahead of it now, before you get hurt, is the whole point.
If you’ve got a friend who’s been climbing for a couple of months and is starting to push into harder routes, send them this series. It’s worth knowing the common climbing injuries and how to prevent them before they show up, not after.
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Frequently asked questions
What foods are best for tendon nutrition for climbers?
Tendons and ligaments are about two thirds collagen, which comes down to the amino acids glycine and proline. Meat, especially pork, is the richest “normal” food for those, while plant based foods and dairy tend to be low in them. A hydrolyzed collagen supplement is the richest and most convenient source Eric Hörst points to.
When is the best time to take collagen for my tendons?
About an hour before you load your tendons. Take it before you climb or before rehab exercises so the glycine and proline are in your bloodstream while you’re loading the tissue. Pairing the nutrition with the loading is what’s been shown to give the best results.
Does whey protein help tendons the way it helps muscle?
Not really. Whey is high in branched chain amino acids, which drive muscle recovery, but it’s low in the glycine and proline that make up connective tissue. Whey is still useful for muscle, just not the main tool for tendons and ligaments.
Will collagen fix my tendons if my training and diet are bad?
No. A supplement isn’t a magic bullet for bad training or a bad diet. It can help a climber who’s already training properly and eating well, but on its own it won’t make up the difference. And if you’re dealing with a real injury, check with a doctor, physical therapist, or dietitian first.
More About Safety and First Aid:
- Taping Fingers For Climbing: Why And How
- Proper Nutrition For Tendons For Climbers
- Exercises To Prevent Tendon Injuries For Climbers
- Climbers’ Tendon Injuries And What Causes Them
- 5 Common Injuries In Climbing And How To Prevent Them
- Climbers Guide: First Aid Kit
- How Do You Deal With Climbing Flappers? Prevention And Care
- Should You Wear A Helmet For Bouldering?
