Testing IRCRA Battery and Its Predictive Value on Red-Point Performance in Youth Advanced Climbers

Introduction: Various studies examined the factors that influence climbing performance measuring the contribution of anthropometric factors, physiological factors, physical factors, technical factors, psychological factors and mental factors. IRCRA developed a battery with 10 tests that evaluate key physiological parameters in climbing. Hypothesis: We can predict climbing red-point performance based on the 5 factors: antropometric factor, upper body factor, flexibility factor, core factor and training factor. Methods: The study was performed on 17 youth advanced climbers both male and female. The evaluating instrument was IRCRA performance-related test battery for climbers with 3 more added tests: push-ups, dips and hanging crunches. Results: We composed five factors that influence red-point performance, which are, in order of their importance: training factors, upper body strength factors, anthropometric factors, core strength factor and flexibility factors. The model predicted 81.7% of the climbing performance variance. Power slap at Gullich rungs was the most predicting of the upper body strength. Conclusions: The most important factor for performance in climbing is a trainable skill: strength of the upper body. Specific training on specific holds is more important than general physical preparation. Anthropometric characteristics influence performance more than core strength or flexibility in climbing. Clinical relevance : We tested the efficiency of IRCRA battery in evaluating climbing performance and concluded that this battery can be used as a selection testing for competitions. This leads to better selection for competitions according to climbers’ level of preparation and can lead to less frequent injuries.