Eat to Climb: Nutrition for Climbers

A practical, science-backed guide to nutrition for climbers — written by a professional climber who has lived it.

Nutrition advice is everywhere. Most of it is generic, some of it is contradictory, and very little of it is written with a climber's actual life in mind. Eat to Climb changes that. Grounded in sports science and shaped by real experience at the highest levels of the sport, this book gives climbers at every level the knowledge and tools to fuel with confidence — at the crag, in training, and through injury and recovery.

The book is structured in two parts. The first lays the foundations: energy intake, macronutrients, micronutrients, hydration, and supplements, with clear explanations of how protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and ergogenic aids each interact with training, performance, and recovery. The second part shows you how to apply those principles in practice, with dedicated chapters on crag nutrition, injury recovery, weight management, intuitive eating, and the distinct physiological considerations for female climbers.

Throughout, some of climbing's most respected athletes share their stories honestly and without filters — Shauna Coxsey on navigating a difficult relationship with food as a young competitor, Molly Thompson-Smith on maintaining nutritional discipline through injury, and Billy Ridal on the logistics of fuelling a free ascent of the Nose on El Cap. The science is rigorous. The stories make it real.

Specifications

• Author: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk
• Format: Paperback
• Language: English

About the Author

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk has been climbing for 30 years and competed for the GB Climbing team at numerous World Cups, reaching ninth in the world in women's bouldering in 2013. She has sport climbed to F8c and bouldered to Font 8b. After qualifying as a physiotherapist in her early twenties, she pursued a career as a professional climber before returning to formal study — completing a foundational nutrition certification, two years of postgraduate sports nutrition study under the International Olympic Committee, and certification as an intuitive eating counsellor. She has provided nutrition services both independently and through Lattice Training, the world's leading climbing coaching company. In 2024, she published her first peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, focusing on nutrition for female climbers. Mina lives in the Peak District with her husband David Mason and their two children.