<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<italic>Study aim</italic>: The increase in the number of professional climbers led to the development of climbers since early age. Therefore, the average age of elite climbers has decreased over the last decade. Consequently, age and maturity specifics should be investigated with the influential factors in climbing. This research aimed to investigate the forearm muscle strength in youth sport climbers and determine the gender, age, and maturity status as factors of influence on forearm muscle performance in elite youth climbers.
<italic>Materials and methods</italic>: This research included 18 elite sport climbers (Croatian National team members), divided into two age groups: younger (aged 13–15 years) and older (aged 16–18 years). Variables included anthropometric indices (body mass, body height, body fat percentage, ape index), handgrip strength, and climbing-specific forearm strength.
<italic>Results</italic>: Climbers did not differ between age groups in the studied variables. Also, no significant correlations were found among anthropometric/body-built indices and forearm muscle performances, with age and maturity offset. However, when gender stratified, there were associations between forearm capacity in sitting position and maturity offset in girls (r = 0.73; p &lt; 0.05) but not in boys.
<italic>Conclusion</italic>: Results could be explained by the assumption that each subsequent generation is better than the previous one. Also, the associations between performance variables and biological age in girls are probably related to girls’ earlier maturation and specificity of sports selection. Forearm muscle capacities are a crucial determinant of success in sports climbing, and a good assessment of these muscle groups could serve as a tool for sport-specific selection.
</abstract>

Study aim: The increase in the number of professional climbers led to the development of climbers since early age. Therefore, the average age of elite climbers has decreased over the last decade. Consequently, age and maturity specifics should be investigated with the influential factors in climbing. This research aimed to investigate the forearm muscle strength in youth sport climbers and determine the gender, age, and maturity status as factors of influence on forearm muscle performance in elite youth climbers.
Materials and methods: This research included 18 elite sport climbers (Croatian National team members), divided into two age groups: younger (aged 13–15 years) and older (aged 16–18 years). Variables included anthropometric indices (body mass, body height, body fat percentage, ape index), handgrip strength, and climbing-specific forearm strength.
Results: Climbers did not differ between age groups in the studied variables. Also, no significant correlations were found among anthropometric/body-built indices and forearm muscle performances, with age and maturity offset. However, when gender stratified, there were associations between forearm capacity in sitting position and maturity offset in girls (r = 0.73; p < 0.05) but not in boys.
Conclusion: Results could be explained by the assumption that each subsequent generation is better than the previous one. Also, the associations between performance variables and biological age in girls are probably related to girls’ earlier maturation and specificity of sports selection. Forearm muscle capacities are a crucial determinant of success in sports climbing, and a good assessment of these muscle groups could serve as a tool for sport-specific selection.

Sport-specific performances in elite youth sport climbers; gender, age, and maturity specifics

Biomedical Human Kinetics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Study aim: The increase in the number of professional climbers led to the development of climbers since early age. Therefore, the average age of elite climbers...

Sport-specific performances in elite youth sport climbers; gender, age, and maturity specifics

Published Online: Mar 04, 2023

Page range: 49 - 56

Received: Nov 07, 2022

Accepted: Jan 11, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bhk-2023-0007

Keywords
Athlete, Fitness profile, Muscle capacity, Forearm

© 2023 Barbara Gilic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Sport-specific performances in elite youth sport climbers; gender, age, and maturity specifics

Published Online: Mar 04, 2023

Page range: 49 - 56

Received: Nov 07, 2022

Accepted: Jan 11, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bhk-2023-0007

KeywordsAthlete, Fitness profile, Muscle capacity, Forearm

© 2023 Barbara Gilic et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Athlete, Fitness profile, Muscle capacity, Forearm