Quantifying climbing potential: a multivariate model of finger flexor readiness for performance progression
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.119156Keywords:
finger flexor endurance, maximal voluntary contraction, hangboard testing, performance prediction, climbing-specific strength, training homogeneityAbstract
Introduction: researchers identified finger flexor strength and endurance as critical determinants of sport climbing performance, yet predictive models for longitudinal progression remained underdeveloped.
Objective: the study aimed to construct a multivariate readiness model to guide training periodization for lead climbing advancement.
Methodology: sixty four competitive climbers from a single coaching system completed standardized assessments of maximal voluntary contraction, continuous and intermittent endurance at sixty percent maximal contraction, finger hang duration, and dynamometry, and the researchers applied pearson correlations to analyze physiological predictors against climbing grades.
Results: finger hang duration emerged as the strongest predictor of red point performance, exceeded maximal contraction values, demonstrated that continuous endurance held no significant association with climbing grades, and revealed that predictor importance shifted toward maximal strength at higher performance levels.
Discussion: these outcomes corroborated existing literature that established finger capacity as the primary physiological determinant, and confirmed that sport specific endurance protocols possessed superior ecological validity compared to generalized strength metrics.
Conclusion: the proposed tiered framework successfully identified discipline specific readiness thresholds and should be integrated into coaching practice to optimize training periodization, though longitudinal validation remains necessary to confirm predictive accuracy.
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