Climbing time to exhaustion is a determinant of climbing performance in high-level sport climbers.
We studied which physiological and kinanthropometric characteristics determine climbing performance in 16 high-level sports climbers aged 29.9 +/- 4.9 years. Body composition parameters were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. We also measured kinanthropometric and physical fitness parameters. The sex-specific 75th percentile value of onsight climbing ability was used to divide the sample into expert (<75th) and elite (> or =75th) climbers. All the analyses were adjusted by sex. The 75th percentile value of onsight climbing ability was 7b in women and 8b in men. There were no differences between expert and elite climbers in the studied variables, except in climbing time to exhaustion and bone mineral density. Elite climbers had a significantly higher time to exhaustion than the expert group (770.2 +/- 385 vs. 407.7 +/- 150 s, respectively, P = 0.001). These results suggest that, among climbers with a high level of performance, as those analysed in this study, climbing time to exhaustion is a major determinant of climbing performance.
España-Romero
Vanesa
V
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18012 Granada, Spain. vanespa@ugr.es
Ortega Porcel
Francisco B
FB
Artero
Enrique G
EG
Jiménez-Pavón
David
D
Gutiérrez Sainz
Angel
A
Castillo Garzón
Manuel J
MJ
Ruiz
Jonatan R
JR
D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
Br J Sports Med. 1997 Sep;31(3):224-8
9298558
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 Apr;91(4):361-72
14985990
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 May;32(5):911-7
10795780
J Hand Surg Am. 2006 Oct;31(8):1367-72
17027801
J Sports Sci. 2009 Mar;27(5):469-77
19204847
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1995 Mar;35(1):20-4
7474988
J Sports Sci. 1993 Apr;11(2):113-7
8497013
Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1974;2:131-53
4466663
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1996 Dec;36(4):255-60
9062048
Int J Sports Med. 2000 Apr;21(3):185-90
10834350
J Sci Med Sport. 2004 Mar;7(1):11-22
15139160
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Oct;59(10):1158-66
16047030
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Mar;38(3):439-44
16540830
Br J Sports Med. 2005 Sep;39(9):611-6
16118297
J Hand Ther. 2005 Jan-Mar;18(1):19-29
15674783
Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 1993;207(2):87-92
8280318
J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Feb;18(1):77-83
14971979
J Hand Surg Am. 2002 Sep;27(5):897-901
12239682
Br J Sports Med. 1999 Feb;33(1):14-8
10027051
Sports Med. 2006;36(6):529-45
16737345
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Jul;30(7):1118-22
9662682
Br J Sports Med. 2003;37(5):420-4
14514533
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Jul;35(7):1225-31
12840646
Res Q Exerc Sport. 2005 Dec;76(4):426-32
16739680
Int J Sports Med. 2001 May;22(4):280-4
11414671
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2006 Nov;98(5):489-96
17021787
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007 Oct;101(3):293-300
17602238
J Sports Sci. 1996 Aug;14(4):301-9
8887209
Br J Nutr. 2009 Mar;101(6):871-8
18702849
J Hand Surg Am. 2008 Mar;33(3):378-84
18343294
Br J Sports Med. 2000 Oct;34(5):359-65; discussion 366
11049146
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005 Feb;86(2):328-31
15706562
Int J Sports Med. 1997 Aug;18(6):449-53
9351691
J Sports Sci. 2001 Jul;19(7):499-505
11461053