102: Olimpian Kyra Condie on Climbing Culture + Nutrition

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with Olympian and professional rock climber Kyra Condie. We start off with a little coffee debate: home brewed or coffee shop?! We touch on the effects of caffeine on performance, both positive and negatives, and how our genes determine how we respond to caffeine. Kyra shares her start in climbing: after attending a rock climbing birthday party she was hooked! Without a school climbing team, and missing out on time with friends for training, Kyra explains how she questioned her future in the sport. Kyra discusses how surgery to correct her scoliosis reminded her of her climbing passion, and we hear how she continues to navigate challenges to overcome pain and movement limitations related to her back. We talk about climbing being introduced into the Olympics for the first time in Tokyo 2020, a competition Kyra competed in. Kyra explains the different forms of climbing: bouldering, lead, and speed climbing, and how the sport is evolving.  Climbing places a strong emphasis on strength-to-weight ratio, and disordered eating is common in this sport. Kyra speaks to the experiences she has had watching other athletes get caught up in being lighter and underfueling, and how she has learned that being stronger is better than being lighter. Kyra highlights how not all successful athletes struggle with food, showing that there is another way. Kyra credits her years of consistent injury-free training to fueling enough and not restricting. As a vegetarian athlete, Kyra shares how she is intentional about protein and supplements with creatine. We highlight the importance of ensuring all supplements are safe for sport and not contaminated with banned substances: look for “NSF” and “Informed Choice” certifications. Kyra Condie’s Official Bio: Kyra is a 26 year old professional climber and University of Minnesota alumni. Kyra was born and raised in Shoreview, Minnesota, but currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She started climbing when she was 11 years old at her original home gym, Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul, MN. After she had completely fallen in love with the sport of climbing, she discovered that she had severe, idiopathic scoliosis. It was devastating news, but she wouldn't let her condition hold her back. On March 12, 2010 she had a spinal fusion surgery to correct her more than 70 degree curvature and took several months to recover. Though she started competitive climbing before her surgery, she didn't win her first major competition until after her time off. Since then, she has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, become a bouldering World Cup finalist, and is a regular at pro competitions around the US.  Follow Kyra on Instagram @kyra_condie and the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast @female.athlete.nutrition   THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Inside Tracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp This episode is brought to you by the Female Athlete System of Transformation, the FAST track for female athletes to overcome disordered eating and fuel to their highest performance: Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS