Physiology of sport rock climbing
British Journal of Sports MedicinePublished 21 May 2004Open access
A. William Sheel
Citations200
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score4.72
SNIP4.50
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
The determinants of climbing performance are not clear but may be attributed to trainable variables rather than specific anthropometric characteristics.
Abstract
Rock climbing has increased in popularity as both a recreational physical activity and a competitive sport. Climbing is physiologically unique in requiring sustained and intermittent isometric forearm muscle contractions for upward propulsion. The determinants of climbing performance are not clear but may be attributed to trainable variables rather than specific anthropometric characteristics.
Keywords
Medicine
Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance
2,649 Citations2006William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch +1 more
This book discusses Exercise Physiology for Cancer, Cardiovascular, and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, as well as individual Differences and Measurement of Energy Capacities, and Body Composition Assessment.
Medical Entomology and ZoologyExercise : regulation and integration of multiple systems
810 Citations1996L. B. Rowell, John T. Shepherd
This paper presents a meta-analyses of the cellular, molecular and Metabolic Basis of Muscle Fatigue, and discusses the role of Exercise in the development of Neural Control of Movement.
Comprehensive physiologyReflexes Controlling Circulatory, Ventilatory and Airway Responses to Exercise
310 Citations1996Marc P. Kaufman, H. V. Forster
British Journal of Sports MedicinePhysiological and anthropometric determinants of sport climbing performance
262 Citations2000Christine M. Mermier, Jeffrey M. Janot +2 more
The findings do not support the belief that a climber must necessarily possess specific anthropometric characteristics to excel in sport rock climbing, and can be explained by a component consisting of trainable variables.
Journal of Sports SciencesAnthropometric, strength, endurance and flexibility characteristics of elite and recreational climbers
221 Citations1996Suzanne Grant, V. Barbara Hynes +2 more
It is demonstrated that elite climbers have greater shoulder girdle endurance, finger strength and hip flexibility than recreational climbers and non-climbers and those who aspire to lead 'E1' standard climbs or above should consider training programmes to enhance their finger strength, shoulder girdsle strength and endurance, and Hip flexibility.
Comprehensive physiologyIntegration of Cardiovascular Control Systems in Dynamic Exercise
217 Citations1996L. B. Rowell, Donal S. O’Leary +1 more
Journal of Sports SciencesAnthropometric profiles of elite male and female competitive sport rock climbers
168 Citations1993Phillip B. Watts, David T. Martin +1 more
World-class climbers assessed immediately prior to competition at an international World Cup sport climbing championship indicated that elite sport climbers are of small to moderate stature and exhibit very low % fat, moderate grip strength and high SMR when compared with other athletic groups.
Journal of Sports SciencesA comparison of the anthropometric, strength, endurance and flexibility characteristics of female elite and recreational climbers and non-climbers
153 Citations2001Suzanne Grant, T. Hasler +4 more
It is suggested that elite climbers have greater finger strength than recreational climbers and non-climbers.
Plenum Press eBooksFatigue : neural and muscular mechanisms
149 Citations1995Simon C. Gandevia
Fatigue of Single Muscle Fibers: Myofibrillar Fatigue vs. Failure of Activation K.P. Edman Fatigue at the Neuromuscular Junction: Fatigue with NMR Techniques: Bioenergetics and Muscle Cell Types M.J. Kushmerick
British Journal of Sports MedicineEnergy expenditure and physiological responses during indoor rock climbing.
147 Citations1997Christine M. Mermier, Robert A. Robergs +2 more
The data indicate that indoor rock climbing is a good activity to increase cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular endurance and the traditional HR-VO2 relationship should not be used in the analysis of this sport, or for prescribing exercise intensity for climbing.
British Journal of Sports MedicineEnergy cost of sport rock climbing in elite performers.
137 Citations1999J. Booth, Frank E. Marino +2 more
The results suggest that for elite climbers outdoor sport rock climbs of five to 10 minutes' duration and moderate difficulty require a significant portion of the VO2climb-peak.
International Journal of Sports MedicineMetabolic Response During Sport Rock Climbing and the Effects of Active Versus Passive Recovery
135 Citations2000P. B. Watts, Matt Daggett +2 more
PubMedEnergy specificity of rock climbing and aerobic capacity in competitive sport rock climbers.
134 Citations1995Véronique Billat, P Palleja +3 more
The results suggest that the competitive rock climbing elicit particularly arms since heart rate is high for a relatively low value of VO2, which is higher than normal for a climber's maximal O2 consumption.
European Journal of Applied PhysiologyArterial blood pressure and forearm vascular conductance responses to sustained and rhythmic isometric exercise and arterial occlusion in trained rock climbers and untrained sedentary subjects
127 Citations1997Richard A. Ferguson, Margaret D. Brown
The attenuated BP response to sustained isometric exercise could be due in part to enhanced forearm vasodilatory capacity, which also supports greater endurance during rhythmic exercise by permitting greater functional hyperaemia in between contraction phases.
PubMedAcute changes in handgrip strength, endurance, and blood lactate with sustained sport rock climbing.
114 Citations1996P. B. Watts, V. Newbury +1 more
It was concluded that handgrip strength and hand grip endurance decrease with continuous difficult rock climbing and remain depressed after 20 minutes of resting recovery and it also appears that handGrip strength recovers at a faster rate than handgri endurance.
Medicine & Science in Sports & ExercisePhysiological Responses to Indoor Rock-Climbing and Their Relationship to Maximal Cycle Ergometry
107 Citations2003A. William Sheel, Nicholas Seddon +3 more
There is a disproportional rise in heart rate compared with [V02], which is attributed to the fact that climbing requires the use of intermittent isometric contractions of the arm musculature and the reliance of both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism.
Medicine & Science in Sports & ExercisePhysiological responses to simulated rock climbing at different angles
98 Citations1998Phillip B. Watts, K. Drobish
It was concluded that continuous rock climbing over terrain steepness of 80 degrees to 102 degrees presents a "very heavy" work challenge, averaging 8.4-9.0 metabolic equivalents, regardless of angle.
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory PhysiologyMuscle metaboreflex improves O<sub>2</sub>delivery to ischemic active skeletal muscle
85 Citations1999Donal S. O’Leary, Robert A. Augustyniak +2 more
The muscle metaboreflex acts to increase both arterial O2 content and blood flow to ischemic muscle such that when combined, O2 delivery is substantially increased and metabore Flex gain is greater when analyzed with a more integrative approach.
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative PhysiologyIs active skeletal muscle functionally vasoconstricted during dynamic exercise in conscious dogs?
77 Citations1997Donal S. O’Leary, Edwin Robinson +1 more
It is concluded that during dynamic exercise in conscious dogs the sympathetic nervous system progressively restrains the normal vasodilation in active skeletal muscle, thereby limiting skeletal muscle perfusion.
Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology ArthroscopyAn electromyographic study of arm muscles during climbing
47 Citations1995T. D. Koukoubis, Les Cooper +3 more
A reduction in climbing-related muscle injuries may be achieved by a training program that emphasizes conditioning of the BR and FD muscles, which may explain their elevated incidence of injury during climbing.
British Journal of Sports MedicineRock climbing: observations on heart rate and plasma catecholamine concentrations and the influence of oxprenolol.
44 Citations1978E. S. Williams, Peter Taggart +1 more
The results are interpreted as suggesting that this popular sport represents more an anxiety-type of psychological stress than a physical stress and as such is likely to increase moral fibre rather than muscle fibre.
Advances in experimental medicine and biologyFatigue
38 Citations1995Simon C. Gandevia, Roger M. Enoka +4 more
Arterial Baroreflexes, Central Command, And Muscle Chemoreflexes: A Synthesis
7 Citations1993L. B. Rowell