Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing
BackgroundNon-professional climbers are increasingly attempting long routes in a single day. Many suffer injury or rely on search and rescue teams when they become too fatigued to finish. Predicting fatigue is difficult, and existing studies have only studied climbers over durations less than an hou...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1224581/full |
| _version_ | 1797766966539190272 |
|---|---|
| author | Elaine Yu Jacques Lowe Jasmin Millon Kristi Tran Christanne Coffey |
| author_facet | Elaine Yu Jacques Lowe Jasmin Millon Kristi Tran Christanne Coffey |
| author_sort | Elaine Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundNon-professional climbers are increasingly attempting long routes in a single day. Many suffer injury or rely on search and rescue teams when they become too fatigued to finish. Predicting fatigue is difficult, and existing studies have only studied climbers over durations less than an hour, while many outdoor multipitch climbs require more than an hour of climbing.ObjectivesTo determine how strength, endurance, and dexterity reflect fatigue after 24 h of continuous climbing.MethodsVolunteer competitors completed measurements of grip strength, static hang time to failure, and time to tie a figure-eight follow-through knot. Measurements were taken during the registration period before the competition and again within an hour after the competition ended. Measurements were compared using the paired t-test. Subgroup analysis was applied to competitors by division. Linear regression was applied to determine the relationship between vertical feet climbed and the number of routes climbed during the competition on each metric.ResultsThirty-six total climbers (average age 29.4 years old) completed pre- and post-competition measurements. After 24 h of climbing (n = 36), mean grip strength decreased by 14.3–15 lbs or 14.7%–15.1% (p < 0.001) and static hang time decreased by 54.2 s or 71.2% (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in time to tie a figure-eight-follow-through knot. Grip strength and hang time decreases were significant in climbers with outdoor redpoints of 5.10a and above. Hang time decreased by 5.4 s per 1,000 vertical feet climbed (p = 0.044).ConclusionClimbers can expect to experience a 14.7%–15.1% decrease in grip strength and 71.2% decrease in static hang time after 24 h of continuous climbing. These changes may make it difficult to climb consistently over a long objective, and climbers can use these measures at home to train for longer climbing routes. Future studies on shorter climbing intervals can help determine rates of decline in performance measures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:31:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1240c99800844851909df6c0eead60dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:31:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj.art-1240c99800844851909df6c0eead60dc2023-08-01T19:08:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672023-08-01510.3389/fspor.2023.12245811224581Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbingElaine Yu0Jacques Lowe1Jasmin Millon2Kristi Tran3Christanne Coffey4Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United StatesCarle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, Urbana, IL, United StatesAmerican University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Cupecoy, Sint MaartenDepartment of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, United StatesDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United StatesBackgroundNon-professional climbers are increasingly attempting long routes in a single day. Many suffer injury or rely on search and rescue teams when they become too fatigued to finish. Predicting fatigue is difficult, and existing studies have only studied climbers over durations less than an hour, while many outdoor multipitch climbs require more than an hour of climbing.ObjectivesTo determine how strength, endurance, and dexterity reflect fatigue after 24 h of continuous climbing.MethodsVolunteer competitors completed measurements of grip strength, static hang time to failure, and time to tie a figure-eight follow-through knot. Measurements were taken during the registration period before the competition and again within an hour after the competition ended. Measurements were compared using the paired t-test. Subgroup analysis was applied to competitors by division. Linear regression was applied to determine the relationship between vertical feet climbed and the number of routes climbed during the competition on each metric.ResultsThirty-six total climbers (average age 29.4 years old) completed pre- and post-competition measurements. After 24 h of climbing (n = 36), mean grip strength decreased by 14.3–15 lbs or 14.7%–15.1% (p < 0.001) and static hang time decreased by 54.2 s or 71.2% (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in time to tie a figure-eight-follow-through knot. Grip strength and hang time decreases were significant in climbers with outdoor redpoints of 5.10a and above. Hang time decreased by 5.4 s per 1,000 vertical feet climbed (p = 0.044).ConclusionClimbers can expect to experience a 14.7%–15.1% decrease in grip strength and 71.2% decrease in static hang time after 24 h of continuous climbing. These changes may make it difficult to climb consistently over a long objective, and climbers can use these measures at home to train for longer climbing routes. Future studies on shorter climbing intervals can help determine rates of decline in performance measures.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1224581/fullrock climbingendurancegrip strengthhang timespeed |
| spellingShingle | Elaine Yu Jacques Lowe Jasmin Millon Kristi Tran Christanne Coffey Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing Frontiers in Sports and Active Living rock climbing endurance grip strength hang time speed |
| title | Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| title_full | Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| title_fullStr | Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| title_short | Change in grip strength, hang time, and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| title_sort | change in grip strength hang time and knot tying speed after 24 hours of endurance rock climbing |
| topic | rock climbing endurance grip strength hang time speed |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1224581/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elaineyu changeingripstrengthhangtimeandknottyingspeedafter24hoursofendurancerockclimbing AT jacqueslowe changeingripstrengthhangtimeandknottyingspeedafter24hoursofendurancerockclimbing AT jasminmillon changeingripstrengthhangtimeandknottyingspeedafter24hoursofendurancerockclimbing AT kristitran changeingripstrengthhangtimeandknottyingspeedafter24hoursofendurancerockclimbing AT christannecoffey changeingripstrengthhangtimeandknottyingspeedafter24hoursofendurancerockclimbing |