Thermographic assessment of upper body muscles in climbers as a methodology for comparing different skill levels

Infrared thermography (IRT) is increasingly used in sports science to monitor muscle temperature changes in athletes. This study aimed to analyze muscle groups of upper body regions warming in climbers, comparing high (HL) and very high-level (VHL) climbers after completing a maximum-difficulty route.

HL and VHL climbers performed their most challenging route, with thermographic measurements of muscle groups of upper body regions (biceps, elbow flexors, external and internal regions of the forearm, front shoulder, and triceps) taken before, immediately after, and 15 min post-climbing using IRT.

Climbing-specific muscles, such as the biceps, elbow flexors, and forearm regions, warmed significantly immediately after and after climbing. In contrast, secondary muscles regions, like the shoulder and triceps, exhibited minimal changes, indicating their supportive role. Non-specific muscle regions, such as the chest, back, and lower back, exhibited a cooling-rewarming cycle, highlighting their stabilizing role during climbing and contrasting with the greater heat generation of climbing-specific muscle regions. Advanced climbers showed less warming in specific areas-left biceps, right elbow flexor, and forearm-suggesting a more efficient thermoregulatory or metabolic response. This may indicate adaptations associated with advanced climbing performance. An optimized methodology for thermographic studies in climbing should include measurements immediately post-climbing and 15 min later to capture the immediate and ongoing muscle response.

These findings suggest that specific muscles involved in climbing sustain significant temperature increases, with advanced climbers potentially benefiting from enhanced efficiency in muscle thermoregulation, which may contribute to improved performance.