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The Effect of Indoor Rock Climbing On Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility Characteristics in Novice Climbers
The Effect of Indoor Rock Climbing On Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility Characteristics in Novice Climbers
Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate changes in muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility in
novice climbers following 7 weeks of indoor rock climbing and to determine if these responses are related to
improvements in climbing performance. Method: Climbers (CL: n=14) and non-climbers (N-CL: n=10)
were assessed before and after the study period. Tests included right and left handgrip and pinch grip
strength, lat pull-down strength, arm-hang endurance, handgrip endurance, sit-and-reach flexibility, and
total climbing time. The CL group completed a 7-week training protocol involving climbing 5-6 routes on an
indoor climbing wall, 2x weekly. Result: The CL group had significant improvements in handgrip strength
(7%), pinch strength (9%), handgrip endurance (26%), arm hang time (35%), and climbing performance
(50%). There were no significant changes in the N-CL group. There were no significant correlations
between improvement in climbing performance and change in muscle strength and endurance within CL.
Discussion: The climbing performance of novice climbers can be improved in a relatively short period of
time. However, the improvement is most likely due to improved climbing technique, than to improvements in
muscular strength and endurance.
Introduction
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Subjects
Twenty-eight college students volunteered to
participate in this study and were assigned to
one of two groups. The treatment group, novice
climbers (CL), consisted of 16 subjects (n=6
male, n=10 female) enrolled in a indoor rock
climbing class. The control group, non-climbers
(N-CL), consisted of 10 subjects (n=5 male, n=7
female) enrolled in an active lifestyle course.
All subjects completed a questionnaire about
their previous climbing experience and those
with less than two previous climbing encounters
were considered for participation in the study.
The protocol for this study was approved by the
university human subjects committee and
subjects provided written informed consent
form prior to the study. All subjects healthy
based on the Physical Activity Readiness
Questionnaire (PAR-Q) given prior to the
beginning of the first testing session.
Training Protocol
Subjects in the CL group were enrolled in 2
days per week, 7-week indoor rock climbing
class at the university climbing facility. The
duration of each class period was 2 hours. A
total of six routes, graded 5.4 to 5.6 on the
Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), were used by
the CL group for their training program. Prior to
the start of the training, subjects were provided
an overview of the study, the procedures
involved and proper safety and rope handling
instructions. Additionally, subjects were
provided with instruction on climbing
techniques and with climbing specific technique
feedback using the verbal performance cues of
McNamee and Steffen (McNamee & Steffen,
2007).
The training protocol involved climbing 5-6
routes during each class period. Subjects were
allowed to climb the routes in any order during
the two-hour period. The training protocol was
supervised by a rock climbing instructor and the
principal investigator. In addition, subjects in
the CL group were given a Climbing Record
Sheet with a personal climbing questionnaire, an
explanation of the protocol to follow, and a
climbing record where subjects were required to
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Figure 1. Four common hand positions used in rock climbing: A pocket, B open, C pinch, D crimp.
Upper body strength was assessed using onerepetition maximum (1-RM) lateral pull-down
test on a Magnum Fitness Systems (Milwaukee,
WI) lat pull-down machine. Subjects were
allowed to warm-up performing a series of three
warm-up sets, 3 repetitions each, on the lat pulldown machine using 45-65% of body weight
(self-selected). Following the warm up, subjects
performed a single repetition per set against
increasing resistance using a front overhand grip
on the pull-down bar and legs under the
supporting mechanism. There was a one-minute
rest between attempts. Failure to complete a
pull-down below the chin or failure to maintain
proper form was considered an unsuccessful lift.
Maximum strength was determined as the
highest weight lifted successfully.
3. Muscular Endurance
Upper-body isometric muscular endurance was
assessed using the bent-arm hang test on an
overhead bar. With an overhand grip,
participants were instructed to pull-up until a
maximally flexed arm position (at the elbow
joint) was achieved and then instructed to
remain in this position for as long as possible.
The test score time was defined as the point at
which the participants failed to maintain their
chin above the bar. Time was recorded on only
one trial.
Bilateral handgrip endurance was measured by
timing how long the subjects maintained 70% of
their
maximum
voluntary
contraction
(previously measured with the maximal
handgrip strength test) using the same handgrip
dynamometer used to assess handgrip and pinch
strength. Time measurement started when the
subjects reached the target value on the
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Statistical Analysis
Results
Subject Characteristics
females and n=5 males). There were no
Twenty-four of the original twenty-eight significant differences in pre-test scores
subjects completed the study protocol. Time between the CL and the N-CL groups at the start
constraints or unrelated injury prevented four the study. Characteristics, subdivided by group,
subjects (2 from CL and 2 from N-CL) from are presented in Table 1. Changes in body
completing the post-testing assessment. Thus, composition over the course of the study for
results are based upon 14 climbers (n=9 females subjects in both groups are presented in Table 2.
and n=5 males) and 10 non-climbers (n=5
Table 1. Subjects characteristics of the beginning of the study.
Variable
Climbers (n=14)
Non-climbers (n=10)
Age (years)
20.1 1.2
18.8 1.3
Height (cm)
171.3 12.1
174.0 10.7
70.2 17.4
74.3 15.3
174.0 14.4
175.8 12.7
Ape index
1.02 0.02
1.01 0.02
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Table 2. Changes in body composition measures over the course of the study.
Climbers (n=14)
Non-climbers (n=10)
Variable
Pre-test
Post-test
Pre-test
Post-test
70.2 17.4
71.6 18.5
74.3 15.3
74.4 15.2
% Body Fat
19.8 7.4
19.7 6.9
17.3 9.4
16.9 8.4
23.6 3.0
24.1 3.5
24.4 3.8
24.4 3.7
115.9 41.8
114.4 37.8
107.1 54.8
103.1 44.6
Table 3. Changes in strength and endurance over the course of the study.
Climbers (n=14)
Non-climbers (n=10)
Variable
Pre-test
Post-test
Pre-test
Post-test
33.7 8.2
35.9 8.5*
39.7 11.8
38.1 10.5
29.4 7.7
31.3 8.4*
35.1 11.4
33.3 10.4*
10.3 2.6
11.0 2.6*
11.7 3.2
11.2 2.9
9.5 2.8
10.6 3.0*
10.9 3.1
10.2 2.9
60.8 21.0
64.7 20.5
70.5 23.4
71.8 23.3
19.5 12.2
24.6 10.4*
17.6 6.7
19.4 7.7
15.3 10.7
20.7 10.5*
16.1 10.0
16.0 10.7
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
the study.
Non-climbers (n=10)
Variable
Pre-test
Post-test
Pre-test
Post-test
Seat-and-reach (cm)
34.4 8.1
35.1 6.6
34.1 9.5
34.5 10.8
150.6 11.2
152.0 12.4
150.3 9.4
150.5 7.4
89.1 9.4
90.1 9.9
88.0 10.3
86.7 13.3
Table 5. Changes in climbing performance measures over the course of the study.
Climbers (n=14)
Non-climbers (n=10)
Variable
Pre-test
Post-test
Pre-test
Post-test
207.9 95.6
311.4 201.1*
218.1 101.7
213.1 98.4
522.9 275.5
910.0 662.7*
747.5 450.2
782.0 529.0
Climbing Score
-.095
.160
.115
.288
.175
.126
-.056
-.075
.213
-.009
.256
.060
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Discussion
The main goal of this study was to determine
the effect of 7 weeks of indoor rock climbing
training on the enhancement of strength,
endurance, flexibility and climbing performance
in college age novice climbers. The secondary
goal was to evaluate the relationship between
changes in climbing performance (climbing
score and climbing time) and the changes in the
previous mentioned physiological variables.
According to the American College of Sports
Medicine (ACSM, 2006), subjects in both
groups were classified as average in terms of
mean body mass, height, % body fat, and body
mass index (BMI). Body composition measures
were not expected to change significantly over
the length of the study and this is supported by
our results. In contrast with our results, Wescott
(1992) found a significant decrease in body
mass (2 lb) and % body fat in a group of
beginning climbers (n=20) at the end of a 7week climbing program consisting of 15-20
minutes of climbing twice a week on a
motorized climbing wall.
Muscle strength and endurance
It was expected that 7 weeks of indoor rock
climbing training would result in increased
muscle strength and endurance. The results of
this study indicate a significant increase in all of
the strength measures, with the exception of
lateral pull-down strength, in the CL group. No
significant increases occurred in the N-CL
group. Thus, the results suggest that indoor rock
climbing elicits a significant effect increasing
climbing specific strength in novice climbers. In
the present study, handgrip strength increased
about 6.5 % in both hands, while pinch strength
increased about 7.1 % and 11.7 % for the right
and left hand, respectively.
According to Billat et al. (1995), periods of
isometric muscular contractions can amount to
one-third of the total climbing time if not
controlled by researchers. Thus, these gains in
handgrip and pinch strength can be explained by
neuromuscular adaptations to isometric exercise
in factors related to neuromuscular recruitment,
muscle architecture, or metabolic enzyme
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Conclusion
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster
Maikey Lopera, John P. Porcari, Jeff Steffen, Scott Doberstein 1and Carl Foster