title: The relationship between climbing ability and physiological responses to rock climbing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between submaximal and maximal physiological responses to rock climbing for climbers of differing abilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six male climbers performed a submaximal climbing test on a known circuit at 90° (vertical) and 105° (15° overhanging) inclination and speed 25 movements · min(-1). A maximal test was undertaken on a similar circuit at the same speed with inclination increasing by 10° for each successive 3 min stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean oxygen consumption and heart rate (HR) increased with wall inclination and climbers reached a mean (± SD) peak VO2 of 40.3 ± 3.5 mL · kg(-1) · min(-1) during the maximal test. Self-reported climbing ability was negatively correlated with VO2 and HR during the submaximal test at 90° (VO2, r = -0.82; HR, and r = -0.66) and at 105° (VO2, r = -0.84; HR, and r = -0.78) suggesting an increased exercise economy for climbers with a higher ability level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study indicate that there is a relationship between wall inclination and the physiological demand of a climb. However, the increased technical ability and fitness of higher level climbers appears to an extent to offset the increased demand through improved exercise economy which in turn leads to an increased time to exhaustion and an improvement in performance.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3502-2050
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baláš
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4183-1727
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panáčková
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4856-246X
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strejcová
authors.affiliation: School of Sport & Exercise, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: School of Sport & Exercise, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Darryl J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cochrane
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miloš
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaláb
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kodejška
authors.affiliation: School of Sport & Physical Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Canterbury 8140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4466-3792
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Draper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption