Climbing has gained in popularity standards, and Olympic recognition, but not the scientific attention that other sports have received. As a sport, climbing takes many forms. For recreational, competitive, and exercise training purposes, sport climbing has evolved as the widest reaching subdiscipline.1 The safe and controlled environment of fixed protection (bolts or topropes) of sport climbing allows a full focus on athletic and gymnastic challenges,2,3 and as such, it is characterized by sustained, repetitive, and complex bouts of intense upward motion that tax physical capacity in the upper limbs and upper and core body.4,5 Growth of indoor facilities has further facilitated this trend.1 Thus, the current study is based upon the notion that the highest level of sport climbing ability and performance is at least partly determined by the limits of those characteristics. Accordingly, changes to those affect maximal climbing performance. Previous studies have identified many of those characteristics, such as upper-body and shoulder strength6-8 including explosive power,5,6,9 forearm grip and finger strength,5,10-13 upper-body endurance capacity10,14 and local muscle aerobic oxidative and postocclusion reoxygenation capacity,12,15,16 as well as anthropometric characteristics and body composition and mass.17,18 Other studies have, however, suggested forearm grip and finger strength,7,17,19 anthropometric factors and body composition,5,20 flexibility20 and aerobic capacity, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)21 may be less important. However, most of the above studies have assessed only a limited number of determinants; addressed cohorts with limited ability ranges, not always used sports-specific methodology, mostly excluded or under-represented females, and rarely established the relative importance of individual characteristics compared with others. For instance, the 2 sexes may not share some or any characteristics.11 Therefore, information on physical and physiological parameters that dictate progress in climbing remains incomplete, such that designing informed and evidence-based specific training programs for specific purposes and cohorts becomes difficult, to the degree that this unmet need hinders optimal progress in both recreational and professional athletes trying to reach their potential. The aim of this study was, therefore, in a comprehensive testing regime in both sexes and across the complete and widest available spectrum of climbers from lower grade to elite standard and in a standardized and unbiased manner, to assess the physical and physiological factors that may dictate climbing performance, to thereby identify the relative importance of each factor for determining climbing ability and performance in sport climbing.
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