Thanks to the internet, good nutrition has never been more popular—or more misunderstood. Since my own beginnings in the nutrition world to where I am today, I have come across, fallen for, researched, and debunked more myths and misunderstandings than I can recall. And I come across more everyday.
Here at Climbing Nutrition, I’m taking a small stand against the rise of misinformation. While I try to address as many of the “big” topics as I can, I know there are a hundred more little topics that are not on my radar but which you may have questions about. As such, please consider me to be your personal resource and ask whatever nutrition-related question you may have!
I do, however, ask that you follow a few guidelines so I may keep everything organized:
#1: Keep Your Questions Nutrition-Related
Your questions doesn’t need to be specifically about climbing nutrition or even sports nutrition, but it’s helpful if they deal with nutrition in some way. I’m an expert in nutrition, but less so in training, building anchors, and hair braiding.
#2: Ask A Single Question at a Time
You can send me as many questions as you’d like, but please send them one at a time. When I get an email with four questions in it, I know it might take me an hour to respond to, and then I file it away until I have an hour to spare. If you send me a single question at a time, I’ll probably answer them quicker. Also, keeping the questions separate helps me to organize them better so I can find them later.
#3: Be Patient
I have a strong track record at answering all the questions that come my way, but sometimes it takes me a few days to get to them; sometimes it takes even longer. If I don’t answer your question right away, don’t despair! I’m probably just busy and will answer you as soon as my schedule allows.
#4: If You Want Guaranteed Privacy, Use a Pseudonym
I don’t answer all questions publicly, and I don’t always attach a name to the questions I do answer for all to see on this site—sometimes I just write an article on the topic—but I do think there’s a lot of good questions that everyone can benefit from an answer to and I like to share these questions and my answers. I completely understand if you do not want your real name (even if just a given name) attached to a question, so feel free to use whatever pseudonym you’d like or even “anonymous”, which is the best way to allow me to both protect your privacy and share a potentially great question with the community. I will never use your full name, even if you supply it.
How Will I Receive an Answer?
In almost all cases, you will always receive a private answer to your question via email. Depending on the nature of the question, you may also see answers as…
A Quick Post
Many questions are good but shallow, as in there’s not a lot to say about them beyond the answer. If this is the case, I’ll probably share the question and my answer (reworded to address a community rather than an individual) in a quick post.
A Facebook Post
I rarely do this, but it’s a possibility. If the question is easily condensed into a short-enough format to be appropriate for social media, I may repeat the question and answer it on Facebook.
An Entire Article
Occasionally I get questions that are tough to answer briefly—questions that require an in-depth look at the topic to really reach the sort of understanding I feel is necessary. In this case, after sending a personal response that addresses the basics of the question, I’ll also write an entire, long-form article about the topic so that everyone can benefit. Since researching and writing these articles can take time, and since I’ll probably already be in the middle of another article, it make take weeks or months to get this reply—but it’ll be worth it!
Anything Else?
That’s all you need to know to ask me a question. Assuming you followed the guidelines above, you should receive a response within a day or two (except when I’m on a climbing trip or other vacation, in which case it may be upwards of a week). Just remember:
- Keep your questions related to nutrition.
- Ask one question at a time.
- Be patient.
- If you don’t want your (given) name used, give me a pseudonym or use anonymous. I will never use full names, even when supplied.
Now that you know what to expect, I’d love to hear from you—ask away!
(PS: I know using a contact form is a bit annoying, but it helps me keep spam to a minimum and ensures your questions reach me. Thanks for the understanding!)
