Intra and Inter-Session Reliability of Movement Velocity During Pull-Ups Performed at Small Climbing Holds.

OBJECTIVES

The synergy between arm and shoulder muscles, along with isometric finger flexor strength, are crucial for climbing proficiency. However, tests often assess these factors separately rather than in a unified action. This study aimed to determine the intra- and inter-session reliability of the mean propulsive velocity (MPV) during pull-ups on a large hold and on small climbing edges.

METHODS

Ten male climbers (self-reported maximal grade 6b-8b on French scale) participated in two identical sessions. During each session, participants performed two blocks of two pull-ups on a large hold and on four small climbing edges (25, 20, 15, and 10mm) in randomized order. The MPV was recorded using a linear position transducer.

RESULTS

The MPV during climbing pull-ups at 20mm (0.75±0.16 m/s), 15mm (0.73±0.16 m/s), and 10mm (0.52±0.15 m/s) was reduced compared to a pull-up on a large hold (0.84±0.16m/s). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were good-to-excellent across hold sizes for intra-session (ICC 0.84-0.99) and inter-session (ICC 0.73-0.96) measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the MPV assessed during climbing-specific pull-ups on small holds provides valuable insights into finger, elbow and shoulder muscle force capacities in a unified action. This test could be considered a sport-specific test for monitoring performance in climbers.