The aim of the study was to estimate post-competition changes in handgrip strength and blood lactate in climbers and relationships of the studied variables with declared climbing ability of the tested athletes. Twenty one male climbers volunteered to take part in the experiment. Each subject took part in simulated lead climbing competition on the artificial wall – (difficulty 7a in French scale). The blood lactate concentration was measured pre-climbing and then 3 min and 30 min post-climbing. Grip force of both hands (dominant and non-dominant) was measured twice – pre-climbing and 1 min post-climbing (semi-final). Maximum heart rate during climbing reached 181.4±7.7 beats per minute. Lactate concentration amounted to 6.35±1.50 mmol/l and 2.28±0.66 mmol/l 3 min and 30 min post-climbing, respectively. Handgrip force related to body mass (averaged for both hands) decreased significantly from 7.39±1.30 N/kg pre-climbing to 6.57±1.05 N/kg 1 min post-climbing. Self reported climbing ability was correlated with lactate concentration and handgrip force, as well. It was demonstrated that athletes reporting higher climbing ability showed better lactate recovery

E  Hübner-Woźniak

E  Sienkiewicz-Dianzenza

J  Gajewski

P  Tomaszewski

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Biology of Sport, Vol. 26 No1, 2009   . CHANGES  IN  HANDGRIP  FORCE  AND  BLOOD  LACTATE  AS RESPONSE TO SIMULATED CLIMBING COMPETITION  J.  Gajewski1,3,  E.  Hübner-Woźniak2,  P.  Tomaszewski1,  E.  Sienkiewicz-Dianzenza1 1Dept. of Statistics and Information Technology, 2Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Physical Education, Warsaw, Poland; 3Dept. of Biomechanics, Institute of Sport, Warsaw, Poland  Abstract.  The  aim  of  the  study  was  to  estimate  post-competition  changes  in handgrip strength and blood lactate in climbers and relationships of the studied variables with declared climbing ability of the tested athletes. Twenty one male climbers  volunteered  to  take  part  in  the  experiment.  Each  subject  took  part  in simulated lead climbing competition on the artificial wall – (difficulty 7a in French scale). The blood lactate concentration was measured pre-climbing and then 3 min and 30 min post-climbing. Grip force of both hands (dominant and non-dominant) was  measured  twice  –  pre-climbing  and  1  min  post-climbing  (semi-final). Maximum heart rate during climbing reached 181.4±7.7 beats per minute. Lactate concentration amounted to 6.35±1.50 mmol/l and 2.28±0.66 mmol/l 3 min and 30 min post-climbing, respectively. Handgrip force related to body mass (averaged for  both  hands)  decreased  significantly  from  7.39±1.30  N/kg  pre-climbing  to 6.57±1.05 N/kg 1 min post-climbing. Self reported climbing ability was correlated with lactate concentration and handgrip force, as well. It was demonstrated that athletes reporting higher climbing ability showed better lactate recovery.  (Biol.Sport 26:13-21, 2009)   Key words: Sport climbing – Competition – Lactate - Handgrip  Introduction    Rock climbing has become a competitive sport of growing popularity. There is an  increasing  number  of  indoor  climbing  walls.  Also  sport  climbing  has  been recognized as a competitive sport by the International Olympic Committee [9]. In order to regulate competition climbing to meet Olympic Games requirements the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) was established in 2007. There has been not much of research done on sport climbing comparing to the other,                                             Reprint request to: Dr. J Gajewski, University of Physical Education Warsaw, Poland; E-mail: jan.gajewski@awf.edu.pl                                                                                                   J. Gajewski et al. Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   14 “traditional" sports. Biomechanical and physiological approaches have focused on finger strength [5], aerobic and anaerobic capacity of sportsmen [2,8,9] and their anthropometric characteristics [6,14].    It is known that climbing performance is restricted by growing local fatigue of forearm muscles. Sustained and intermittent isometric contraction of these muscles is necessary  for  keeping  balance  and  upward  propulsion [9,11,13]. The  loss  of strength of the finger flexors reduces possibility of applying technical skills. The aim of the study was to estimate post-competition changes in handgrip strength and blood lactate in climbers and relationships of the studied variables with declared climbing ability of the tested athletes.   Materials and Methods    Twenty one male climbers volunteered to take part in the experiment. Their age, body mass and height varied between 17 years and 29 years (mean±SD 22.0±3.4, 63 kg and 86 kg (mean±SD 70.6±, 6.0), as well as 171 cm and 187 cm (mean±SD 179.8±4.9), respectively. The climbing ability (CA) of the subject was defined as a climbing grade of the most difficult on-sight ascent ever made. The meaning of on-sight was that an ascent was completed at the first attempt with no falls [5]. The climbing  ability,  self-reported  by  subjects,  ranged  between  17  and  33  (mean 23.0±4.9) in quantitative Australian scale. Each subject took part in simulated lead climbing  competition  on  the  artificial  wall.  Difficulty  of  the  competition  route (semi-final) was estimated as 24 in Australian scale (7a French scale). The eight of the best climbers were qualified to the final. The net result was defined as a rank obtained in the final (for those who were classified) or semi-final competition.    The blood lactate concentration was measured pre-climbing (LA0) and then 3 min (LA3) and 30 min (LA30) post-climbing (semi-final) using commercial assay kits and photometer (Dr Lange, Germany). In order to estimate lactate recovery the following indicator was defined:   )LALAln(303   .    Grip force of both hands (dominant and non-dominant) was measured twice – pre-climbing  and  1  min  post-climbing  (semi-final)  using  hydraulic  hand dynamometer.  The  heart  rate  during  climbing  was  monitored  using  Polar  810i (Polar Electro, Finland).  Post-exercise changes in handgrip and lactate in climbers Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   15 Results    The  mean  (±SD)  heart  rate  increased from  pre-climbing  value  of  131.0±7.1 beats  per  minute  to  its  maximal  value  of  181.4±7.7  beats  per  min.  Lactate concentration amounted to 1.81±0.84 mmol/l pre-climbing, 6.35±1.50 mmol/l and 2.28±0.66  mmol/l  3  min  and  30  min  post-climbing,  respectively.  Lactate concentration remained significantly increased (P<0.001, Wilcoxon test) 30 min post-climbing  comparing  to  its  initial  value.  As  it  is  shown  in  Fig.  1,  lactate concentration  (LA3)  has  been  correlated  with  climbing  ability  (Spearman’s R=0.453; P<0.05).    Fig. 1  Relationship between blood lactate concentration measured 3 min post-climbing and the climbing ability self-reported by subjects (n=21)     Climbing ability showed also strong and significant relationship with the lactate recovery indicator ξ (Spearman R=0.687, P<0.001), as presented in Fig. 2.          y = 0,136x + 3,2255 R 2  = 0,198 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15  20  25  30  35 Reported climbing ability (Australian scale) Lactate concentration [mmol/l]                                                                                                   J. Gajewski et al. Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   16  Fig. 2 Relationship between the lactate recovery indicator (ξ) and the climbing ability self-reported by subjects (n=20)    Handgrip  force  related  to  body  mass  (averaged  for  both  hands)  decreased significantly  (P<0.001,  Wilcoxon  test)  from  7.39±1.30  N/kg  pre-climbing  to 6.57±1.05 N/kg 1 min post-climbing. Pre-climbing handgrip force was correlated with climbing ability (R=0.560, P<0.01). Similar relationship was observed post-climbing (R=0.566, P<0.01). Decrease in handgrip force as well as climbing ability were correlated with pre-climbing handgrip value (R=0.601, P<0.01 and 0.618, P<0.001, respectively).    Lactate recovery indicator (ζ) was the only one parameter that was correlated with  the  result  (rank)  of  the  competition  (Spearman’s  R=-0.763,  P<0.001):  the better lactate recovery, the better rank achieved.   Comparing  finalists  and  those  who  were  not  qualified,  the  most  significant difference was found in relative handgrip force (Table 1). Neither anthropometric nor physiological variables (lactate or heart rate) differed between finalists and non-finalists groups.   y = 0,0355x + 0,2093R2 = 0,37901215 20 25 30 35Reported climbing ability (Australian scale)Lactate recovery indicator (ξ) [-]Post-exercise changes in handgrip and lactate in climbers Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   17 Table 1 Mean  values  (±SD)  of  the  relative  handgrip  force  pre-  and  post-climbing  in finalists (n=8) and non-finalists (n=13)  Group  Relative handgrip force [N/kg] Pre-climbing  Post-climbing Finalists  8.41±1.28***  7.46±0.94 Non-finalists             6.76±0.85  6.08±0.72  ***significantly different from non-finalists (P<0.001)  Discussion    The  increasing  popularity  of  climbing  as  a  mode  of  physical  activity  or competitive  sport  raises  questions  about  physiological  and  anthropometric determinants of climbing performance. Those issues ought to be investigated since mechanisms responsible for climbing abilities are still not well defined and results of studies vary. Hence, presented study aimed at describing changes in handgrip force  and  blood  lactate  as  response  to  exertion  performed  during  simulated climbing competition.    Mean heart rate values recorded pre- and post climbing amounted to 131.0 and 181.4 beats per minute, respectively, and were slightly higher than those reported by other authors. Depending on climbing grade, heart rates ranged from 129 beats per minute in Sheel et al. [10] studies to 176 beats per minute in Billat et al. [1] investigation; the most frequently reported values being about 160 beats per minute [2,7].  During  sport  climbing  climber’s  weight  is  supported  intermittently  for  a considerable period of time with a predominance of isometric contraction of the upper  limbs  muscles.  Because  isometric  contraction  time  during  climbing  can account for more than one third of the total time ascent time [1] arms and forearms are subject to extensive isometric loading [4]. Those loading increases with the route difficulty as more of the climber’s weight is forced onto the arms with less support by the legs causing an increase in heart rate, being possible explanation of reactively  high  heart  rate  values  observed  in  this  study.  Nevertheless  the differences  stated,  there  are  no  doubts  that  heart  rate  increases  with  climbing difficulty  and  high  variability  in  heart  rates  is  usually  attributed  to  different climbing intensities, experience/skill level [7] route familiarity, technique [17] and physiological stress or anxiety [3,7]. The specific conditions of simulated climbing                                                                                                   J. Gajewski et al. Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   18 competition may be another factor that contributed in rise of heart rate and may partly explain relatively high heart rates recorded in this study.    Relative handgrip force is believed to be important factor determining climbing ability.    The  values  of  relative  pre-climbing  handgrip  force  recorded  in  this  study (7.39±1.30 N/kg) are comparable to those reported by Watts et al. [16] for elite adult  male  climbers  (7.8±0.6  N/kg)  and  slightly  higher  than  those  reported  by Mermier et al. [6] for adult recreational climbers (6.5±1.4 N/kg). As the results of pre-climbing  force  are  similar,  several  studies  produced  equivocal  results concerning  the  magnitude  of  post-climbing  changes  in  handgrip  force.  In  this study,  handgrip  force  significantly  decreased  to  6.57±1.05  one  minute  after climbing and that is comparably close to results attained by Watts et al. [13] who found that handgrip strength decreased 22% after lead climbing and continued to be lower than resting values 20 min after the climb. In the same study it was also shown that handgrip endurance was only 57% of resting value immediately after the climb. Although a separate investigation performed by Watts et al. [14] failed to reveal any change in handgrip strength it should be rather expected that local fatigue  in  arm  and  forearm  muscles  may  result  in  lower  post-climbing  grip strength.  The  results  of  the  present  study  show  strong  relationship  between handgrip strength and climbing ability. Those findings are not in accordance with the general view that there is no relation between climbing ability and handgrip force assessed with dynamometer because the lack of the specificity of the device and as this measurement is similar only to “pinch” grip of the four grips commonly used in climbing [3]. Correlation between strength and climbing ability seems also to be in contrast to stand of Watts et al. [16] who claim that grip strength may not be  a  necessary  attribute  of  elite  climbers.  The  importance  of  grip  strength  to climbing performance is partly supported by results of multiple regression analysis [6] that revealed that the training variables explained 58.9% of the total variance in climbing, whereas the anthropometric and flexibility components explained 0.3% and 1.8% of the total variance, respectively; grip strength to body mass ratio and % body fat being only significant predictors of climbing ability. The usefulness of relative  handgrip  force  was  indirectly  confirmed  in  this  study  as  the  finalists exhibited significantly higher pre-climb handgrip force compared to climbers who were  no  qualified  to  finals;  results  being  8.4  and  6.7  N/kg  respectively. Considering inconsistent results of data presented in literature it is plausible that correlation  between  grip  strength  and climbing  ability  was  present  due to  high variability of climber’s skills and would not be pronounced in very top athletes.  Post-exercise changes in handgrip and lactate in climbers Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   19   Blood  lactate  concentration  increases  with  climbing  route  difficulty  and  is usually  regarded  as  an  indicator  of  local  fatigue.  Blood  lactate  samples  taken immediately  after  climbing  range  from  2.4  to  6.1  mmol/l  [9]  or  even  to  10.2 mmol/l  as  reported  by  Gilles  et  al.  [3].  Considerable  high  variability  could  be attributed to different study protocols or methods applied, variations in style of climbing, climber’s experience/skills [3]. In presented study, blood lactate levels were elevated from 1.81 mmol/l pre-climbing to 6.35 mmol/l three minutes after the climbing and were comparable to those reported by Watts et al. [13] amounting 1.4  mmol/l  pre-climb  to  6.4  mmol/l  post  climb.  In  present  study  lactate concentration  remained  significantly  increased  30  minutes  post-climbing  (2.28 mmol/l), so the result partly supports the statement of Watts et al. [14] that it may take up to 30 min for blood lactate to return to pre-exercise levels.    Isometric contractions dominating in climbing performance evoke acute local fatigue  causing  significant  decrease  in  handgrip  and  respectively  high  lactate concentration. In MacLeod et al. studies [5], after completing the endurance test simulating climbing grips, participants commented on having a painful burning “pump” in the forearm muscles showing high local fatigue due to high local lactic acid  accumulation.  Because  climbing  competitions  often  involve  sections  of overhanging  terrain,  the  ability  to  tolerate  and  remove  lactic  acid  could  be beneficial  [3,15].  The  results  of  present  study  supports  that  thesis  as  strong, significant  relationships  between  lactate recovery indicator  and  climbing  ability (R=0.687) or the final rank of the competition (R=-0.763) have been observed.    Although  climbing  is  regarded  as  an  exhaustive  event,  blood  lactate concentrations are lower with climbing than with activities as running or cycling. This is probably because a smaller active mass is producing lactate as much of the mass supported during climbing is provided by forearm muscle [3,10]. It makes the lactate concentration is relatively low compared to other activities and as it could be expected on high accompanying heart rate values. According to Mermier et al. [7] it could be due to dilution of venous blood volume, impaired lactate clearance during isometric contraction and uptake of circulating lactate by non-exercising muscles.  All  abovementioned  factors  may  decide  that  although  high  loads  that occur in climbing, the local fatigue assessed by selected markers manifests in blood samples to a low degree. That calls for looking for other, supplementary methods that would improve the knowledge of metabolic and cardiovascular responses to climbing  activity  and  would  help  to  discover  the  determinants  of  climbing performance.                                                                                                      J. Gajewski et al. Biol.Sport 26(1), 2009   20 References    1. Billat V., P.Palleja, T.Charlaix., P.Rizzardo, N.Janel (1995) Energy specificity of rock climbing and aerobic capacity in competitive sport rock climbers. J.Sports Med.Phys. Fitness 35:20-24   2. 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Changes in handgrip force and blood lactate as response to simulated climbing competition

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