Post Lunch Lethargy Syndrome?

TC

TC

Participating member
I reckon suffer from a rare treeclimbers disease called P.L.L.S.(Post Lunch Lethargy Syndrome)

Starting work at around 7.00- 8.00 am
I find it hard to keep my energy levels up passed 1.30-2.00pm

If i'm doing a big removal with lots of rigging and work repositioning and cutting bigger pieces with big saws stihl 46 and 66 i get real bad cramp in my hands and arms.

I'm 32, been climbing everyday for about 10 years
My fitness and strength are good
My diet probably could be better, i drink loads of water.
I've tried protein shakes they just bag me up.
Am i missing something or am i just gettin old ?
Any advice would be appreciated
 
theres protein shakes and theirs protein shakes. ive only found 1 that i can take without feeling bloated and sick
could be worth experimenting a little.
 
[ QUOTE ]
theres protein shakes and theirs protein shakes. ive only found 1 that i can take without feeling bloated and sick
could be worth experimenting a little.

[/ QUOTE ]

The only protein drink i've found to be half way decent is vanilla Designer Whey, but i always end up feeling dehydrated with that stuff. I know to avoid any protein drinks with meta casein in it as it clots in your stomach.
They try and tell you its a slow release delivery - yeah right, it just sits in your gut fermenting!
I find i lose my appetite for real food when i take protein drinks.
I dont know enough about them all to know what is good, there are too many of them.
What do you use?
 
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Are you eating a good breakfast and drinking gatoraid?

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Maybe thats something to do with it, i very rarely feel hungry in the morning, coffee/couple slices of toast.

This is cause i normally have a big meal at night that bloats my gut.
Chicken, potatos and veg with a big glass of milk, stuff like that, real food, no frozen junk, well maybe a pizza now and then.

I'll try a small meal tonight and starve myself until bed, then get up an hour earlier and have a massive breakfast.

Gatorade - yes. the green and orange powder stuff you make up yourself, I reckon this helps a lot. without it i'd struggle with even worse cramps.
What else is good besides gatorade?
 
P.L.F - POST LUNCH FUNK

Yeah I've suffered from this now and again.
Sounds like a common problem with climbers from my experience.

If your gonna do this job and do it well for another 5/10/15 years, then you'll need to start thinking more about how you work and how you look after yourself physically.

Early/Mid 30s is normally the time when you realise you aint gonna live forever, you just can't climb like you did 10 years ago.

Sorry if this bores you but you might want to think of stuff like;
If you smoke - quit or cut down/ or just smoke a few at night after work.
Get a decent nights sleep, we all know how bad it feels climbing after 2 hours sleep.
Eat a good breakfast, make your own lunch in the mornin even if its a ghetto sandwich(cheese and bread), NOT a tube of pringles/can of coke and a bag of salted nuts from the 7/11.
If you climb in a hot climate get a camel pac - and drink as you climb. Gatorade or fruit juice
Munch granola bars or something like that when climbing.
Man, I'm starting to sound like a arborfascist! ALRIGHT!

Anyway - Dont eat late at night as you wont sleep properly and the food just lies in your gut rotting.
Sort out your Ground crew get them to do as much of the prep as possible, dont be fueling saws and hauling out the portawrap and pulleys. let them do it its their job.

Use throwbag, SRT, footlock, dare i say it - ladders.
Climb wise - Dont be pullin them big saws up the tree, get your groundcrew to attach to the lowering line, they can pull the saw up to you.

On vertical sections the higher you hold the saw the quicker your gonna tire out. Try cutting just above waist height, sometimes its more comfortable to tie in to your front D - to take some weight off your lower back.

Big Problem - if the chippers going full blast and the groundcrew are not switching it off when its not in use this can drive the climber insane cause he's thinking "I need to get more branches down quicker" make the cut throat signal - get them to turn the [censored] machine off so you can think for a minute. A good ground crew knows all this.
Dont be making an IDIOT PILE/CLUSTERF**K at the base of the tree - bombing branches then big wood on top - this drives the ground crew insane, it just means you need to wait longer for all the mess to be cleared up + it snarls up all the ropes and makes everyone go insane.

Stay up the tree at lunch so you dont need to suffer that post lunch elephant syndrome when you try to haul yourself up the tree.

Hope thats of some help.
I'm off for a cold one.
 
Eat a lunch but don't eat too heavily. Let it settle for a little while-at least 15 minutes but longer is better. Start up slowly after the meal-file a saw, set a line, move a little brush. Then go back to work climbing or serious brush and wood humping. I only have one rule for myself about work lunches-no Sody waters. Pop runs right through me when I am working( and I don't mean through my bladder).
 
Theres an old saying "an hour before midday is worth 2 after"

I guess that means every hour before lunch you can get done what would take you two hours after. You need to have the job at least 2/3 done if not 3/4 done before lunch as the hours after seem to rush by.
 
It's simple, don't take a lunch! Just eat throughout the day, as you get hungry. Besides, it seems like half the people who eat a real "lunch" have to then take a real "dump" afterwards.
 
Based on your information, I would say the cramps come from your muscles being static. You may want to try and stretch your wrists, forearms before, during and after. Staying hydrated is a must but sometimes water just isn't enough. You need something like a sports drink to help replace lost electrolytes. Believe it or not Pedialyte is the best for replenishment. It has everything you need to rehydrate. One more thing that may help is to get fingers, hands, forearms massaged. It helps to circulate the good blood. Gets rid of swelling, helps to heal, repair muscles by increasing blood flow, and at the end of the day put some ice on the area. I know it may seem like a lot for cramps but we have to listen to out bodies, and our livleyhood depends on it.
 
I to am 32 been climbing for awile and do to high matabolism I have found out that the proyien shakes are good for breakfast and dinner. At lunch try friuts and salads not loaded with dressings. Gaterade and powerade are good too. As MB put it eat during the day when you feel hungry. Try to stay awayy from to much of muscle builder protien drinks they tend to settle un the tummy like a brick when doing tree work and come out like a brick latter.
toilet.gif
 
sorry grover, forgot to follow this thread ater i posted!
i use maximuscle pro-gain and pro-max. pro-max sits lighter on the stomach. i'll typically take 500ml of pro-gain in the morning if i know i have at least 1hours drive before i actually have to climb. otherwise i take in regular ammounts of 200ml servings.
 
Is it just that you need a big poo??!!!! You may laugh, but my body clock went a bit out and my morning 'evacuation' didn't happen till after lunch when the food train pushed the curious turtle out!!! Ta Da, I felt great again and totally without lethargy or any of the previously felt discomfort!!!! Have a big poo, go on!!!!
 
Have you thought about psychiatric help stephen?

Hey everyone! stephen dropped a baby after lunch!
 
Lift. I have been lifting wieghts for about 15 years(42 yo , climbing since 79). I find it key in my climbing abilities. There was a point after I got a bucket that it was hard for me to lug my bulk around and so started strength training. These days- three to four days a week 45 minutes to 1 and a half hours is all it takes. I was just on a job with some 30 year old wipper snappers and soundly outperformed them.
 
Yeah i used to lift weights, felt fitter for it as well.
I'm gonna start again this week
 
Eat a lite lunch, and don't sit around for too long. For me, 15 minutes is good, one nice sandwich, and on those days, a caffinated soda. Don't make a habit out of caffine, but it can get you through the day.
I always feel worst when I eat too much, sit for to long at lunch, dehydrate, don't get enough sleep the nite before, and eat crap.
Getting old is part of it too. When I was a kid, I knew a guy that would stay up all nite drinking beer and chasing girls, drink coffee for breakfast, work his [censored] all morning, eat 3 Big Macs for lunch, and feel great working and talking about the next evenings party!
Now that same guy is sitting home at 8:30pm typing on the computer.:(
 
I agree with you mike about a short & lite lunch. If i take more than 15-20 min lunch I'm looking for a couch. I switched from reg. soda to diet which helped cure the "sugar crash" too. another thing that helped me was to go easy on the protien on hot days
 
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