Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes
AimsTo compare the somatic characteristics and somatotypes of elite bouldering athletes competing in World Cups and World Championships with national-level climbers and general adult population norms, and to identify anthropometric characteristics that differentiate performance levels in competitive...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1588414/full |
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| author | Pawel Draga Paulina Trybek Paulina Baran Dominik Pandurevic Alexander Sutor Gudmund Grønhaug |
| author_facet | Pawel Draga Paulina Trybek Paulina Baran Dominik Pandurevic Alexander Sutor Gudmund Grønhaug |
| author_sort | Pawel Draga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AimsTo compare the somatic characteristics and somatotypes of elite bouldering athletes competing in World Cups and World Championships with national-level climbers and general adult population norms, and to identify anthropometric characteristics that differentiate performance levels in competitive climbing and distinguish climbers from the general adult population.Materials and methodsAnthropometric data were measured according to the ISAK protocol and somatotype was determined using the Heath-Carter method. Tissue composition and body proportions were examined using measurements of skinfolds, circumferences, widths and indices such as Ape Index and Arm Index. Thirty-four men participated in the study: 9 IFSC-ranked international level athletes and 25 national athletes. Statistical analysis used the Shapiro-Wilk test to assess the normality of the distribution, the Student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U test to compare groups, LASSO regression to identify significant characteristics and Spearman’s correlation coefficient to examine correlations between variables.ResultsInternational climbers demonstrated a significantly lower body fat percentage (14.4±2.00%) compared to national athletes (17.56±2.16%) and the general adult population (18.4±2.9%). Thinner skinfolds and smaller thigh and arm girths were found among the higher level climbers. Body proportions were more favorable in international athletes, who showed higher Ape (1.06 ± 0.02) and Arm Index values (46.22 ± 1.26) compared to national-level competitors (1.03 ± 0.03 and 44.98 ± 1.45, respectively). No significant differences were observed in somatotype profiles.ConclusionsInternational climbers differ from national athletes by having higher muscle mass, lower body fat, smaller limb girths, and shorter stature. The benefits of these characteristics and the influence of selection processes remain unclear. Notably, the low body fat in elite climbers likely reflects training adaptations rather than calorie restriction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6c5e479ff01f4f06ae6730e4ca2db2d5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj-art-6c5e479ff01f4f06ae6730e4ca2db2d52025-08-20T02:33:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672025-06-01710.3389/fspor.2025.15884141588414Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletesPawel Draga0Paulina Trybek1Paulina Baran2Dominik Pandurevic3Alexander Sutor4Gudmund Grønhaug5Institute of Measurement and Sensor Technology, UMIT-Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology GmbH, Hall in Tirol, AustriaInstitute of Physics, University of Silesia in Katowice, Chorzów, PolandW.I.R. gemeinnützige GmbH, Hall in Tirol, AustriaInstitute of Measurement and Sensor Technology, UMIT-Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology GmbH, Hall in Tirol, AustriaInstitute of Measurement and Sensor Technology, UMIT-Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology GmbH, Hall in Tirol, AustriaDepartment of Sport Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, NorwayAimsTo compare the somatic characteristics and somatotypes of elite bouldering athletes competing in World Cups and World Championships with national-level climbers and general adult population norms, and to identify anthropometric characteristics that differentiate performance levels in competitive climbing and distinguish climbers from the general adult population.Materials and methodsAnthropometric data were measured according to the ISAK protocol and somatotype was determined using the Heath-Carter method. Tissue composition and body proportions were examined using measurements of skinfolds, circumferences, widths and indices such as Ape Index and Arm Index. Thirty-four men participated in the study: 9 IFSC-ranked international level athletes and 25 national athletes. Statistical analysis used the Shapiro-Wilk test to assess the normality of the distribution, the Student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U test to compare groups, LASSO regression to identify significant characteristics and Spearman’s correlation coefficient to examine correlations between variables.ResultsInternational climbers demonstrated a significantly lower body fat percentage (14.4±2.00%) compared to national athletes (17.56±2.16%) and the general adult population (18.4±2.9%). Thinner skinfolds and smaller thigh and arm girths were found among the higher level climbers. Body proportions were more favorable in international athletes, who showed higher Ape (1.06 ± 0.02) and Arm Index values (46.22 ± 1.26) compared to national-level competitors (1.03 ± 0.03 and 44.98 ± 1.45, respectively). No significant differences were observed in somatotype profiles.ConclusionsInternational climbers differ from national athletes by having higher muscle mass, lower body fat, smaller limb girths, and shorter stature. The benefits of these characteristics and the influence of selection processes remain unclear. Notably, the low body fat in elite climbers likely reflects training adaptations rather than calorie restriction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1588414/fullboulderingcompetitive climbingbody compositionanthropometrysomatotypeheath-carter method |
| spellingShingle | Pawel Draga Paulina Trybek Paulina Baran Dominik Pandurevic Alexander Sutor Gudmund Grønhaug Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes Frontiers in Sports and Active Living bouldering competitive climbing body composition anthropometry somatotype heath-carter method |
| title | Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| title_full | Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| title_fullStr | Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| title_short | Morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| title_sort | morphology of male world cup and elite bouldering athletes |
| topic | bouldering competitive climbing body composition anthropometry somatotype heath-carter method |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1588414/full |
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