Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic | [b] Department of Management, Massey University,
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Jiří Baláš, Faculty
of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, José Martího 31,
162 52 Praha 6, Czech Republic. Tel.: +420 220172017; E-mail: balas@ftvs.cuni.cz
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether climbing in
children leads to the development of upper limb strength and endurance, and
changes in body composition. Fifty young climbers aged 10–17 participated in
an 8 week climbing program. Metres climbed were used as a factor to assess the
effect of climbing. Two groups were ex post formed with a limit of 320 metres
climbed. Boys and girls from the group that climbed more metres significantly
increased their performance in bent-arm hang time (boys from 35.1
± 3.9 s to 48.4 ± 4.4 s; girls from
18.9 ± 3.9 s to 24.4 ± 4.9 s) and
grip strength related to body mass (boys from 0.65 ± 0.03
to 0.71 ± 0.03; girls from 0.52 ±
0.03 to 0.57 ± 0.03). Significant changes in the ECM/BCM
ratio (extra cellular/body cellular mass) were found in the group that climbed
more metres (boys from 0.88 ± 0.10 to 0.85
± 0.09; girls from 1.00 ± 0.09 to
0.94 ± 0.09). There were no changes found in body fat in
either group. The findings suggest that a climbing program with higher volume
of metres climbed can influence grip strength, upper body muscular endurance
and the amount of relative body cellular mass.
Keywords: Sport climbing, strength, muscular endurance, body composition, children
