Physiological responses during two climbing tests with different hold types

The purpose of this study was to investigate physiological responses to climbing with different hold types. Eight elite climbers (red-point achievements 8a - 9a, French grades) performed two climbing tests to failure which were steady in pace and uniform in wall inclination, distances between holds and hold deepness. Only the hold contact surface inclination was different. Duration of test 1 (111 +/- 54 s) was significantly (P=0.005) less than test 2 (255 +/- 127 s), but peak and average oxygen uptake (V.O-2), heart rate (HR) and post-climbing lactate concentrations were not different (P>0.05). Nevertheless, hold type had a greater impact on peak compared to average V.O-2 and HR. Peak V.O-2 and HR in test 1 and 2 were 34.1 +/- 4.8 versus 37 +/- 2.1 ml/min/kg and 166 +/- 16 versus 171 +/- 13 bpm, respectively. Average V.O-2 and HR were 28.2 +/- 2.7 versus 29.2 +/- 2.1 ml/min/kg and 154 +/- 15 versus 156 +/- 14 bpm. Duration of test 1 and percent lactate clearance were significantly correlated with red-point achievement (r=0.94, P=0.001 and r=0.75, P=0.033, respectively). Peak V.O-2 was significantly correlated with duration of test 1 (r=0.80, P=0.017) and average V.O-2 was significantly correlated with duration of test 2 (r=0.85, P=0.008). Different climbing hold types had no influence on either average or maximal V.O-2 and HR or on post-climbing lactate. Therefore, these variables could be used for performance evaluation but not as intensity indicators during training for sport climbing.