Abstract
Background
Single-day attempts of long rock climbing routes have increased in recent years, especially among nonprofessional climbers. Many rely on search and rescue teams when they become too fatigued to finish. Predicting fatigue is difficult, and there are no studies quantifying the changes in a climber’s performance when fatigued.
Objectives
To measure climbers’ performance before and after a climbing competition to help predict how fatigued a climber may be after 24 h of continuous climbing.
Methods
Competitors volunteered to complete measurements of grip strength, static hang time to failure, and time to tie a figure-8 follow-through knot. Measurements were taken during the registration period, either the night before or the morning of the competition, and again within 1 h after the competition ended. Measurements in the precompetition and postcompetition period were compared using the paired t test.
Results
Thirty-two climbers participated. We found that grip strength decreased by 5.9 to 6.4 kg (13 to 14 lb) (P<0.001) and static hang time decreased by 53 s (P<0.001) after the competition. There was no significant change in time to tie a figure-8 follow-through knot.
Conclusions
Climbers should expect to see a notable decrease in their grip strength and hang time after 24 h of continuous climbing. These changes can make it difficult to climb consistently at the same level over a long objective. Future studies on shorter climbing intervals can provide more accurate data on the rate of decline in performance measures, thereby informing climbers on how to plan their climbing objectives to maximize success.
Keywords: climbing, endurance, performance, grip strength, sports medicine