Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Climbing-specific finger flexor performance and forearm muscle oxygenation in elite male and female sport climbers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climbing performance relies to a great extent on the performance of the finger flexor muscles. Only a few studies investigated this performance in top class climbers and only one study compared gender-specific differences. This study investigated the climbing-specific finger flexor strength and endurance and related muscular oxygenation in 12 elite female and male climbers and 12 non-climbers. After the assessment of maximum voluntary finger flexor contraction (MVC), two isometric finger flexor endurance tests were performed at 40% MVC until exhaustion. A continuous isometric test was followed by an intermittent isometric test (10 s contraction, 3 s rest). Changes in oxygenation of finger flexor muscles were recorded using near infrared spectroscopy. MVC and strength-to-weight ratio were greater in climbers than non-climbers (P = 0.003; P < 0.001) and greater in men than women (P < 0.001; P = 0.002). Time to task failure for the intermittent test and the force-time integrals for the continuous and the intermittent test were also significantly greater in climbers (P = 0.030; P = 0.027; P = 0.005). During the intermittent test, re-oxygenation of the working muscles was faster in climbers (P < 0.05) without gender-specific differences. Close correlations were demonstrated between the best on-sight climbing performance and strength-to-weight ratio (r 2 = 0.946, P < 0.001) only in female climbers. The superior intermittent finger flexor endurance of climbers over non-climbers may be explained by the faster re-oxygenation of the finger flexor muscles during the short rest phases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alomari MA, Mekary RA, Welsch MA (2010) Rapid vascular modifications to localized rhythmic handgrip training and detraining: vascular conditioning and deconditioning. Eur J Appl Physiol 109:803–809

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Billat V, Palleja P, Charlaix T, Rizzardo P, Janel N (1995) Energy specificity of rock climbing and aerobic capacity in competitive sport rock climbers. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 35:20–24

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Booth J, Marino F, Hill C, Gwinn T (1999) Energy cost of sport rock climbing in elite performers. Br J Sports Med 33:14–18

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • España-Romero V, Ortega Porcel FB, Artero EG, Jiménez-Pavón D, Gutiérrez Sainz A, Castillo Garzón MJ, Ruiz JR (2009) Climbing time to exhaustion is a determinant of climbing performance in high-level sport climbers. Eur J Appl Physiol 107:517–525

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson RA, Brown MD (1997) Arterial blood pressure and forearm vascular conductance responses to sustained and rhythmic isometric exercise and arterial occlusion in trained rock climbers and untrained sedentary subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 76:174–180

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giles LV, Rhodes EC, Taunton JE (2006) The physiology of rock climbing. Sports Med 36:529–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grant S, Hasler T, Davies C, Aitchison TC, Wilson J, Whittaker A (2001) A comparison of the anthropometric, strength, endurance and flexibility characteristics of female elite and recreational climbers and non-climbers. J Sports Sci 19:499–505

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green H, Goreham C, Ouyang J, Ball-Burnett M, Ranney D (1999) Regulation of fiber size, oxidative potential, and capillarization in human muscle by resistance exercise. Am J Physiol 276:591–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Henriksson J (1992) Effects of physical training on the metabolism of skeletal muscle. Diabetes Care 15:1701–1711

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heyman E, Geus B, de Mertens I, Meeusen R (2009) Effects of four recovery methods on repeated maximal rock climbing performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41:1303–1310

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter SK, Griffith EE, Schlachter KM, Kufahl TD (2009) Sex differences in time to task failure and blood flow for an intermittent isometric fatiguing contraction. Muscle Nerve 39:42–53

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter SK, Schletty JM, Schlachter KM, Griffith EE, Polichnowski AJ, Ng AV (2006) Active hyperemia and vascular conductance differ between men and women for an isometric fatiguing contraction. J Appl Physiol 101:140–150

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen L, Bangsbo J, Hellsten Y (2004) Effect of high intensity training on capillarization and presence of angiogenic factors in human skeletal muscle. J Physiol 557:571–582

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klausen K, Andersen LB, Pelle I (1981) Adaptive changes in work capacity, skeletal muscle capillarization and enzyme levels during training and detraining. Acta Physiol Scand 113:9–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacLeod D, Sutherland DL, Buntin L, Whitaker A, Aitchison T, Watt I, Bradley J, Grant S (2007) Physiological determinants of climbing-specific finger endurance and sport rock climbing performance. J Sports Sci 25:1433–1443

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCall GE, Byrnes WC, Dickinson A, Pattany PM, Fleck SJ (1996) Muscle fiber hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and capillary density in college men after resistance training. J Appl Physiol 81:2004–2012

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McMahon S, Jenkins D (2002) Factors affecting the rate of phosphocreatine resynthesis following intense exercise. Sports Med 32:761–784

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mermier CM, Janot JM, Parker DL, Swan JG (2000) Physiological and anthropometric determinants of sport climbing performance. Br J Sports Med 34:359–365

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mermier CM, Robergs RA, McMinn SM, Heyward VH (1997) Energy expenditure and physiological responses during indoor rock climbing. Br J Sports Med 31:224–228

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michailov ML, Mladenov LV, Schöffl VR (2009) Anthropometric and strength characteristics of world-class boulderers. Medicina Sportiva 13:231–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison AB, Schöffl VR (2007) Physiological responses to rock climbing in young climbers. Br J Sports Med 41:852–861

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noé F, Quaine F, Martin L (2001) Influence of steep gradient supporting walls in rock climbing: biomechanical analysis. Gait Posture 13:86–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quaine F, Vigouroux L, Martin L (2003) Finger flexors fatigue in trained rock climbers and untrained sedentary subjects. Int J Sports Med 24:424–427

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raschner C, Platzer H, Patterson C, Zeppetzauer M, Del Frari B, Estermann D, Piza-Katzer H (2010) An isometric hand tester: quantifying motor function in the hand. J Hand Surg Eur 35:486–493

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins JL, Duscha BD, Bensimhon DR, Wasserman K, Hansen JE, Houmard JA, Annex BH, Kraus WE (2009) A sex-specific relationship between capillary density and anaerobic threshold. J Appl Physiol 106:1181–1186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schöffl VR, Möckel F, Köstermeyer G, Roloff I, Küpper T (2006) Development of a performance diagnosis of the anaerobic strength endurance of the forearm flexor muscles in sport climbing. Int J Sports Med 27:205–211

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schöffl V, Morrison A, Schwarz U, Schöffl I, Küpper T (2010) Evaluation of injury and fatality risk in rock and ice climbing. Sports Med 40:657–679

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheel AW (2004) Physiology of sport rock climbing. Br J Sports Med 38:355–359

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sheel AW, Seddon N, Knight A, McKenzie DC R, Warburton DE (2003) Physiological responses to indoor rock-climbing and their relationship to maximal cycle ergometry. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35:1225–1231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson BC, Fadia T, Pincivero DM, Scheuermann BW (2007) Forearm blood flow responses to fatiguing isometric contractions in women and men. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293:805–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlin DL, Wenger HA (2001) The relationship between aerobic fitness and recovery from high intensity intermittent exercise. Sports Med 31:1–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Usaj A, Jereb B, Robi P, von Duvillard SP (2007) The influence of strength-endurance training on the oxygenation of isometrically contracted forearm muscles. Eur J Appl Physiol 100:685–692

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Usaj A (2001) The endurance training effect on the oxygenation status of an isometrically contracted forearm muscle. Pflugers Arch 442:155–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usaj A (2002) Differences in the oxygenation of the forearm muscle during isometric contraction in trained and untrained subjects. Cell Mol Biol Lett 7:375–377

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vigouroux L, Quaine F (2006) Fingertip force and electromyography of finger flexor muscles during a prolonged intermittent exercise in elite climbers and sedentary individuals. J Sports Sci 24:181–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wall CB, Starek JE, Fleck SJ, Byrnes WC (2004) Prediction of indoor climbing performance in women rock climbers. J Strength Cond Res 18:77–83

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watts PB (2004) Physiology of difficult rock climbing. Eur J Appl Physiol 91:361–372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watts PB, Drobish KM (1998) Physiological responses to simulated rock climbing at different angles. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:1118–1122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watts PB, Joubert LM, Lish AK, Mast JD, Wilkins B (2003) Anthropometry of young competitive sport rock climbers. Br J Sports Med 37:420–424

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watts PB, Martin DT, Durtschi S (1993) Anthropometric profiles of elite male and female competitive sport rock climbers. J Sports Sci 11:113–117

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watts PB, Newbury V, Sulentic J (1996) Acute changes in handgrip strength, endurance, and blood lactate with sustained sport rock climbing. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 36:255–260

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White DJ, Olsen PD (2010) A time motion analysis of bouldering style competitive rock climbing. J Strength Cond Res 24:1356–1360

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wüst RCI, Morse CI, Haan A, de Jones DA, Degens H (2008) Sex differences in contractile properties and fatigue resistance of human skeletal muscle. Exp Physiol 93:843–850

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants who took part in the study. We would also like to thank Heiko Wilhelm (Österreichischer Wettkletterverband, ÖWK), Engelbert Fuchs and Benjamin Gondolatsch who made it possible to test world class climbing athletes. The authors are also grateful to the reviewers who made valuable suggestions to improve the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sport Science, Medical Section, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Marc Philippe, Daniel Wegst, Christian Raschner & Martin Burtscher

  2. Kueser Akademie für Europäische Geistesgeschichte, Mathematische Sektion, Bernkastel-Kues, Germany

    Tom Müller

Authors
  1. Marc Philippe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel Wegst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tom Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christian Raschner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Martin Burtscher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Burtscher.

Additional information

Communicated by Jean-René Lacour.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Philippe, M., Wegst, D., Müller, T. et al. Climbing-specific finger flexor performance and forearm muscle oxygenation in elite male and female sport climbers. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 2839–2847 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2260-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2260-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation