1. Grip Force Fatigue in Lead & Boulder Climbing
Rock
climbing
is
a
sport
with
two
main
styles:
bouldering
and
lead
climbing.
The
former
has
short
technical
routes,
and
the
la<er
has
longer
routes,
requiring
higher
endurance.
The
difference
in
style
leads
to
different
kinds
of
strength
(Fanchini
et
al,
2013).
In
this
study,
we
look
for
evidence
of
basic
physiological
differences
in
bouldering
and
lead
climbing
by
comparing
the
grip
force
of
each
type
of
climber.
Ca2+
is
a
limiJng
factor
in
aerobic
metabolism
that
causes
force
faJgue
in
skeletal
muscle
(Vollestad,
1988).
Therefore,
those
who
have
be<er
metabolic
pathways
for
cycling
Ca2+
through
the
myoplasm
back
into
the
sarcoplasmic
reJculum
will
faJgue
less
quickly
than
those
who
don’t.
Endurance
training
can
train
gene
expression
Methods
Results Discussion
Demi Glidden, Charlotte Laube, & Bobby Brandt
Is
there
a
difference
in
force
grip
faJgue
between
lead
climbers
and
boulderers?
We
hypothesized
that
lead
climbers
will
have
more
efficient
Ca2+
cycling
than
boulderers
due
to
endurance
training,
such
that
they
fa>gue
more
slowly.
Max
grip
force
recorded
aSer
a
20-­‐30
minute
warm-­‐up,
at
the
beginning
of
a
grip
faJgue
curve.
The
curve
measured
grip
force
aSer
5
squeezes
of
a
medium
grip
strength
trainer,
repeated
4-­‐5
Jmes.
Grip
force
faJgue
was
measured
directly
aSer
each
climb
by
maintaining
force
unJl
it
dropped
below
50%
of
the
max
force
aSer
that
parJcular
climb.
The
Jme
to
faJgue
was
used
as
a
proxy
for
force
faJgue.
Introduction
of
metabolic
proteins
(Dubouchaud
et
al,
2000).
Thus,
training
could
affect
Ca2+
cycling.
Acknowledgements
We
would
like
to
thank
the
Circuit
Gym,
our
climbers,
Cate
Turner,
Miles
Crabill,
and
Jake
Oram,
for
parJcipaJng
in
this
study
and
Dr.
Kellar
Autumn
for
his
help
with
designing
the
the
project.
A
special
thanks
to
River
Menanno
for
climbing
for
us
and
his
guidance
through
the
technical
and
pracJcal
side
of
this
project.
h<p://ajpcell.physiology.org/content/308/9/C697
Our
data
show
that
lead
climbers
grips
faJgued
less
quickly
than
boulderers.
This
seems
to
be
the
effect
of
the
endurance
training
that
lead
climbers
have
which
boulderers
do
not.
Given
that
Ca2+
cycling
is
the
main
cause
of
faJgue
(Vollestad,
1988),
it
seems
likely
that
Ca2+
is
playing
a
role
in
the
faJgue
of
the
climbers,
so
that
lead
climbers
faJgue
less
quickly
than
boulderers.
The
data
show
that
grip
faJgued
most
quickly
aSer
the
slope
climb
(Figure
2).
The
literature
suggests
that
the
mean
fingerJp
force
is
greater
for
slopers
than
crimps
(Vigouroux
et
al,
2005),
which
would
be
consistent
with
our
data
that
show
a
faster
faJgue
aSer
slope
climbs.
This
could
be
an
indicator
of
depleted
SR
Ca2+
stores,
which
would
cause
climbers
to
faJgue
more
quickly
aSer
a
sloper
climb
than
a
crimp
climb.
However,
the
slope
climb
was
the
last
in
the
series,
and
this
could
be
another
explanaJon
for
why
faJgue
occurred
more
quickly
for
this
climb.
Boulder
climbers
were
found
to
have
a
greater
maximum
force
grip
compared
to
lead
climbers,
with
an
average
max
force
of
423
newtons
(N),
whereas
lead
climbers
had
and
an
average
max
force
of
313
N.
In
a
2013
study,
Fanchini
et
al.
concluded
that
crimp
and
open
crimp
holds,
boulderers
produced
a
higher
maximum
voluntary
contracJon
compared
Discussion
Figure
4:
Maximal
voluntary
contracJon
(MVC)
for
boulderer
(BC),
lead
climbers
(LC),
and
non
climbers
(NC)
on
crimp
and
open
crimp
holds.
Fanchini
et
al.
found
that
boulders
produced
a
higher
maximum
force
on
both
types
of
holds.
In
our
study,
boulderers
had
a
26%
percent
higher
maximum
force
compared
to
lead
climbers.
Results
Figure
1:
Force
output
(Newtons)
over
Jme
for
boulder
1
climber
aSer
an
overhang
climb.
Linear
regression
and
R2
value
calculated
using
Excel.
Slope
of
regression
line
was
used
as
a
proxy
for
the
rate
of
faJgue
for
the
climber.
Figure
2:
Average
rate
of
faJgue
(N/second)
in
boulder
and
lead
climbers
for
different
types
of
climbs.
Boulderers
faJgued
more
quickly
than
lead
climbers
in
all
cases.
Figure
3:
Average
rate
of
faJgue
(N/second)
across
different
climbs
for
individual
climbers.
On
average
lead
climbers
faJgued
less
quickly
than
boulderers.
to
lead
climbers
(Figure
4).
Our
results
are
consistent
with
Fanchini
et
al.
Work
Cited
Dubouchaud,
H.,
Bu<erfield,
G.
E.,
Wolfel,
E.
E.,
Bergman,
B.
C.,
&
Brooks,
G.
A.
(2000).
Endurance
training,
expression,
and
physiology
of
LDH,
MCT1,
and
MCT4
in
human
skeletal
muscle.
American
Journal
of
Physiology-­‐Endocrinology
And
Metabolism,
278(4),
E571-­‐E579.
Fanchini,
M.,
Viole<e,
F.,
Impellizzeri,
F.
M.,
&
Maffiulem,
N.
A.
(2013).
Differences
in
climbing-­‐specific
strength
between
boulder
and
lead
rock
climbers.
The
Journal
of
Strength
&
CondiJoning
Research,
27(2),
310-­‐314.
Vigouroux,
L.,
Quaine,
F.,
Labarre-­‐Vila,
A.,
&
Moutet,
F.
(2006).
EsJmaJon
of
finger
muscle
tendon
tensions
and
pulley
forces
during
specific
sport-­‐climbing
grip
techniques.
Journal
of
biomechanics,
39(14),
2583-­‐2592.
Vollestad,
N.
K.,
&
Sejersted,
O.
(1988).
Biochemical
correlates
of
faJgue.
A
brief
review.
European
journal
of
applied
physiology
and
occupaJonal
physiology,
57(3),
336-­‐347.
h<p://climb4fitness.com/slap.html
h<ps://sendjournal.wordpress.com/
2014/04/17/get-­‐a-­‐grip/