Study | Subject number and sex | Climb grade ability (Yosemite Decimal Scale/French grade or UIAA)* | Age (years) | Height (cm) | Mass (kg) | BMI (kg/m2) | Body fat (%) | Number of sites used for Σ of skinfold thickness (mm) or other methods used | Arm span (cm) |
Berrostegieta, 200613 | 10 M | >5.14b/8c | 174±6 | 64.54±4.6 | 21.31 | 9.30±0.67 | Used GREC method | 179.0±0.06 | |
R = 163–181 | R = 57.5–69.6 | R = 169–185 | |||||||
Becque & Huber, 199640 | 6 M | 5.11 lead climbers | 24.5±2.6 | 66.9±9.32 | 10.4±3.94 | ||||
Booth et al., 199925 | 6 M | 5.12a–5.13b/6b–7a (best onsight) | 25.2±2.9 | 178±5.7 | 64.1±8.5 | 20.3±2.1 | 9SF 59.9±9.9 | ||
1 F | 6b (best onsight) | 26.0 | 164 | 53.56 | 19.93 | 9SF 75.4 | |||
Grant et al., 19967 | 10 M | Led minimum standard of “E1” | 27.8±7.2 | 179±8.5 | 74.5±9.6 | 23.0* | 14.0±3.7 | 4SF | Arm length 73.8±3.9 |
Grant et al., 200127 | 10 M | Led “hard very severe” | 31.3±5.4 | 166±0.07 | 59.5±7.4 | 21.59* | 24.8±3.7 | 4SF 41.7±10.2 | Arm length 66.1±4.0 |
Kemmler et al., 200658 | 20 M | ⩾9 to 11 UIAA | 28.7±4.1 | 178.1±4.8 | 67.4±4.7 | 21.2±1.0 | 11.0±1.8 | Body DXA scan | |
Mermier et al., 199728 | 24 M | Mean 5.10c | 30.4 | 177.4±8.8 | 72.8±11.6 | 21.4 | 9.8±3.5 | Jackson & Pollock method used, Siri equation used | 185.4±9.6 |
R = 5.8–5.13d | R = 21.0–45.0 | R = 163.5–193.5 | R = 40.1–94.2 | R = 3.3–17.2 | R = 168.0–207.0 | ||||
20 F | Mean 5.9 | 32.2 | 166.4±5.7 | 60.1±5.9 | 20.7±4.9 | 168.6±8.4 | |||
R = 5.6–5.12c | R = 18.0–49.0 | R = 157.8– | R = 50.2–69.9 | R = 14.1–29.6 | R = 157.0–192.5 | ||||
192.5 | |||||||||
Michalilov 20066 | 6 M | Best redpoint 8+ to 10- UIAA | 19-42 | ||||||
Noe et al., 20001 | 7 | Climbers of international standing | 22±0.4 | 174.8±5.2 | 67.6±3.8 | 22.12† | |||
Quaine et al., 20032 | 10 M | 5.13a/8a (onsight) French national team | 22.2±1.4 | 177.4±4.5 | 65.6±2.0 | 20.8† | |||
Schöffl & Winkelmann, 199977 | 30 M | minimum level 9 UIAA | 29.2 | 180 | 68.7 | 20.20 | |||
Schöffl et al., 200372 | 15 M | German Junior National Team | 16.2±1.7 | 172±8.6 | 59.8±6.4 | 20.1±1.4 | |||
4 F | |||||||||
Schöffl et al., 200429 | 10 | 5.13c/10- UIAA (mean redpoint) | 26.5 | 179 | 73.4 | 22.9† | |||
R = 18–37 | R = 173–193 | R = 65–95 | |||||||
Schöffl et al., 20064 | 28 M | 5.13c/10- UIAA (mean redpoint) | 26.6 | 68.5 | 21.38 | 6.2 | |||
5.12c/9- UIAA (mean onsight) | R = 19–33 | R = 165–193 | R = 52–85 | R = 17.99–23.54 | R = 2.2–13.8 | ||||
Sheel et al., 200337 | 6 M | 5.12a–5.14c | 19.3±6.6 | 171.0±5.3 | 65.9±8.1 | 22.5 | 6.0±0.9 | 4SF | 175.3 |
3 F | 5.12a–5.12b (all competition climbers) | 16.0±1.7 | 163.6±8.9 | 54.7±6.6 | 20.4 | 11.2±0.3 | 4SF | 165.3 | |
Sylvester et al., 200631 | 27 | mean 5.12c for sport climbing; mean 5.9 trad climbing; mean V6 bouldering | 28.8±8.8 | 175.5±10.48 | 65.33±11.93 | ||||
R = 19–55 | R = 157.5–190.5 | R = 43.09–88.45 | |||||||
Wall et al., 200424 | 6 F | 5.9–5.10 | 28.0±5.5 | 163.0±4.8 | 55.6±3.9 | 20.9† | 18.8±4 | ||
6 F | 5.10–5.11 | 28.7±2.4 | 170.1±8.0 | 60.3±5.3 | 20.9† | 17.1±4 | 7SF | ||
6 F | 5.11–5.12 | 30.3±3.5 | 164.5±8.5 | 55.0±5.2 | 20.3† | 16.5±3 | |||
Watts et al., 199032 | 21 M | 1989 World Cup semifinalist | 26.6±4.2 | 178±6.5 | 66.6±5.5 | 21.02 | 4.7±1.3 | 7SF 37.8±6.8 | |
7 M | 1989 World Cup finalist | 23.9±5.2 | 179±6.5 | 62.4±4.5 | 19.47 | 4.8±2.3 | 7SF 36.3±6.4 | ||
18 F | 1989 World Cup semifinalist | 27.8±2.0 | 165±4.0 | 51.5±5.1 | 18.91 | 10.7±1.7 | 7SF 42.5±8.9 | ||
6 F | 1989 World Cup finalist | 27.3±1.9 | 162±4.6 | 46.8±4.9 | 17.83 | 9.6±1.9 | 7SF 36.7±10.5 | ||
Watts et al., 199611 | 11 M | 5.12a to 5.13d (onsight range) | 28.7±4.5 | 175.6±8.9 | 65.9±8.6 | 21.3† | 5.4±1.5 | 7SF 40.8±7.3 | |
R = 22.0–39.0 | R = 165.1–198.1 | R = 60.1–89.6 | R = 3.5–7.7 | R = 31.0–53.0 | |||||
Watts & Drobish, 199810 | 9 M | Experienced climbers | 26±8 | 70.6±11.0 | |||||
7 F | |||||||||
Watts et al., 2003107 | 52 M competition youth | 5.11d (mean) | 13.5±3.0 | 162.2±15.6 | 51.5±13.6 | 19.1±2.2 | 4.4±2.2 | 7SF 45.3±13.0 (Jackson-Pollock equation) | 102±0.02 |
11.0±2.8 | 9SF 59.3±19.2 (Slaughter equation) | ||||||||
38 F competition youth | 5.11d (mean) | 13.5±3.0 | 151.3±11.9 | 40.6±9.6 | 17.5±2.1 | 12.2±2.6 | 7SF 56.0±14.5 (Jackson-Pollock equation) | 101±0.02 | |
15.9±2.9 | 9SF 74.3±19.6 (Slaughter equation) | ||||||||
Williams et al., 197813 | 11 M | Either police officers undertaking arduous training or professional climbing instructors | 31 | ||||||
R = 24–48 | |||||||||
Zapf et al., 2001109 | 20 M | >5.13a/7c+ UIAA 9+ | 26.0±4.0 | 177.1±1.044 | 65.5±4.9 | 20.9±1.1 |
DEX, Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; M, male; F, female; SF, skinfold thickness
Data reported are mean ± standard deviation, and range of data given (R = range).
*Grade conversions and explanation of grades found in Sheel (2004).19
†Calculated from study data.