Miriam Reber; Ethan Del Toro; Holden Lyman; Weston Hargis; Travis Ficklin (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Ficklin, Travis (Dixie State University, Health and Human Performance)
In recent years sport climbing has increased in popularity, and with that have come questions regarding what factors improve performance. While multiple studies have examined the effect of anthropometric factors on injury in climbing, few have examined their relationship with climbing performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the anthropometric measures of high-level to intermediate level climbers to determine if certain body types, or dimensions, lend themselves to better performance in climbing.
Twenty-one subjects were divided into an intermediate (INT) or high-level (HL) group based on highest graded climb achieved. Various measures including height, limb lengths, and experience. These were compared between the two groups using t-tests.
Significant differences were found in the number of days climbed per week (HL 2.9±1.1, INT 2.17±0.6, p = 0.03), and the ratios of upper arm to full arm length (HL 0.44±0.05, INT 0.41±0.02, p=0.03), and trunk to height (HL 0.26±0.03, INT 0.23±0.01, p=0.01). There were also statistical trends towards years of experience (HL 5.46±3.8, INT 3.39±1.8, p = 0.06), and trunk length (HL 44.96±7.1cm, INT 41.28±2.7cm, p=0.06).
The current data suggest that for the levels of climbing examined (5.9-5.13b on the Yosemite Decimal Scale) a greater trunk to height ratio, greater upper arm to arm length ratio, and increased frequency of practice (a variable within the climber's control) may positively impact climbing ability.