Date of Award
Summer 2021
Rights
Access is available to all users
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS) in Physical Education: Exercise Science
Department
Wellness and Movement Sciences
Abstract
Rock climbing as a sport and leisure activity has grown exponentially in popularity in recent years. Claims of best technique for rock climbing have been made in guide books, but are unsubstantiated. Specific upper body characteristics, determinants of climbing skill, and injury prevalence have been evaluated, but research examining climbing-specific movements has remained largely unexamined. The purpose of this study was to determine the angular kinematics and center of mass (COM) characteristics of the two-handed dynamic climbing maneuver (dyno). Participants received three attempts to complete a dyno on a 15° overhanging bouldering wall (EPIC Adventures) that were recorded via camcorder (Fastek Imaging; 30hz). MaxTRAQ software (v. 2.9.1.5; Innovision Systems) was used to digitize data and determine sagittal joint angles, joint velocities, COM displacement, and COM velocities during the initial, takeoff, and catch phases of movement. Due to upper body movement occurring in the frontal and transverse planes during trials, analysis of the shoulder and elbow were excluded. Between groups exploratory analysis conducted via independent samples t-tests revealed significant differences in COM vertical velocity between successful and unsuccessful females at takeoff. No significant differences were found in COM displacement, joint angles, or joint angular velocities of the lower body, although a clear sex effect was noticed between groups. These findings support the limited association between anthropometrics and climbing performance, and highlight the contribution of the lower body during the dyno. A lack of consistent technique between subjects highlights the complexity of the dyno, and necessitates three-dimensional analysis for dynamic climbing maneuvers in future research.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Jarvis, Max R., "Kinematic variations between successful and unsuccessful dynamic rock climbing movements" (2021). EWU Masters Thesis Collection. 719.
https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/719
