According to National Geographic, sports climbing is finally making its debut as one of the new sports to be included in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Since the announcement, the global sports climbing community has bustled with excitement. Top athletes have begun training for Olympic spots and the sport itself has started gaining significant media traction. National climbing events all over the world are now shown on television and streamed across different platforms, in the hope that global support for sports climbing continues to grow.
If you’re a climbing enthusiast, this announcement is great news. If you aren’t, then maybe this is your chance to finally try it out. Sports climbing is, after all, a fun and exciting way to get your fitness levels up. MindBodyGreen says sports climbing is a great full-body workout that combines strength, endurance, and flexibility. For many people, as noted by the Huffington Post, the rush comes from the rewarding feeling of being able to surpass your own expectations with focus, balance, and determination.
One of the best supplements you can take to improve your performance in any sport is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide supplements don’t actually contain NO. Instead, Men’s Health points out that they contain amino acids L-arginine and L-citrulline, which help your body produce more NO. In sports climbing specifically, the supplement can benefit your body in unique ways and help you bring your A-game. Keep reading to get a better idea of what exactly nitric oxide can do for you.
Increases your endurance levels
The secret to doing your best in sports climbing is to overcome your body’s limits and be determined enough to reach your goals. A study by the University of Exeter published reports that athletes who took Nitric Oxide supplements showed a striking increase in endurance. The supplement helped people exercise around 20% longer than their bodies were used to, making it especially advantageous for long climbs.
Facilitates better oxygen flow throughout your body
Nitric Oxide is something that the body regularly produces, but levels of nitric oxide vary from person to person. Healthline notes that a limited capacity to produce nitric oxide has been associated with heart disease. In order to counter that, when increasing your nitric oxide levels, the inner muscles of the blood vessels relax and widen, improving the circulation of blood and allowing oxygen to run through your body smoothly.
Promotes cardiovascular health
With a full-body workout like sports climbing, you’ll want to be in tiptop shape. Because nitric oxide helps blood flow through your body efficiently, blood flow directed towards the heart also helps lower blood pressure significantly. In fact, the Express suggests low levels of nitric oxide have a strong link in the presence of high blood pressure, which can cause strokes, heart attacks, or even kidney impairment.
Speeds up recovery
If you’ve ever woken up the day after a workout feeling insanely sore, you’ve experienced what experts in the medical field call DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome. On Health describes DOMS as an accumulation of lactic acid combined with microscopic muscle tears that cause swelling and inflammation. DOMS is common and will go away after time, but Healthline claims that NO supplements can help prevent it. When taking supplements that increase your NO levels, blood flow increases to your active muscles, therefore speeding up the delivery of important nutrients and clearing waste products that are related to DOMS, such as lactic acid.
Prevents altitude sickness
Perhaps the most important benefit for taking NO supplements as a climbing enthusiast is that plenty of research has shown high levels of NO can combat altitude sickness. Medical News Today defines altitude sickness as a disorder caused by low levels of oxygen and lower air pressure in high altitudes. With less oxygen intake, the heart and lungs work harder to oxygenate blood, raising your pulse and breathing rate. A study by the Case Western Reserve University published in Science Daily analyzed Tibetan locals who live at altitudes of 14,000 feet, and found that the reason why they thrive despite low oxygen levels is because they have high levels of NO running through their system. Although high levels of NO are something that could be genetic to Tibetan nationals, you can easily achieve the same results by taking a supplement that boosts your NO production.
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Looking for a place to practice your climbing skills? Check out Daydreaming in Paradise’s list of ‘5 Places To Get Your Wall-Climbing Fix in Metro Manila’.
Jane Adamson is a Canadian import who moved to the Philippines three years ago for a change of pace. After working in the corporate world for ten years, she decided one day to pack up her things and head halfway across the world for a taste of living somewhere brand new.
She lived and worked in Bangkok and Ipoh for a few months as an English teacher, before eventually washing up on the shores of the Philippines. While she has a variety of different interests, Jane’s first loves have always been food and fashion, and she’s looking forward to sharing her thoughts on these on Daydreaming in Paradise.
