The effect of falling anxiety on selected physiological parameters with different rope protocols in sport rock climbing

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of falling anxiety on selected physiological parameters in sport rock climbing. For this aim, before performing  the top-rope and lead climbing, the anxiety inventory was used in sport rock climbers. Afterwards, the selected physiological parameters were recorded during the climbing.

Four female and 22 male, totally 26 middle level rock climber were participated to the study. The mean age of the subjects was 27.73 ± 6.67, climbing years 6.61 ±4.84 and lead climbing age was 5.71 ±4.34. 

In order to eliminate force loss differences between top-rope and lead climbing, top rope climbing was designed as if it is a lead climbing. The second rope was connected on the waist of the athletes during top-rope climbing and they clipped it to expresses such as leading. The ascents were perforformed on 15 m high climbing wall. The route was rated as VI grad (Unıon Internationale des Association d’Alpinisme).

During both climbing  hearth rate was recorded and energy consumption was measured by portable gas analyzer as MET and VO₂ml.min.kg units. Though gas analyzer VE, RER were measured. 

When two types of climbing trial compared, results indicated that there were statistically significant mean difference between CSAI-2 subscales cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self confidence. When physiological parameters examined in terms of two different types of climbing, results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in HR values. However, there were significant differences found between VO₂ml.min.kg, VE, RER, and MET values.

There wasn’t found significant difference in climbing times between two trials. This result shows us that we designed the ascents successfully and could eliminate the physical differences both lead and top-rope climbing. We observed on the same work load of two climbing trials more oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and anxiety scores during leading. This establishs that falling anxiety influences on physiologic parameters.