Factors of Sports Performance in Speed Climbing: Analysis of Physical and Psychophysiological Fitness

Abstract

The relevance of this study is driven by the increasing competition in sport climbing and the insufficient understanding of the factor structure determining performance in the "speed climbing" discipline. The aim of this paper is to identify the most informative indicators of physical and psychophysiological fitness influencing the time taken to complete the standard route. The study employed methods of a constative experiment (testing anthropometric, speed-strength, and psychophysiological indicators), correlation analysis, and expert survey. 24 qualified sport climbers (aged 17–25) participated in the experiment. The results showed that speed-strength qualities of the lower limbs and sensorimotor reaction speed play a leading role in the fitness structure of speed climbers. A high correlation was found between route completion time and Margaria–Kalamen test indicators (r = -0.63), vertical jump (r = -0.56), and light signal reaction time (r = 0.52). Expert survey data (W = 0.71) confirmed the significance of these factors. The practical significance of the research lies in substantiating the need to prioritize the development of explosive leg power and reaction speed in the training process of athletes specializing in speed climbing.