PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - G Balasekaran AU - F K Fuss AU - G Niegl TI - Respiratory response to different parts of a climbing route AID - 10.1136/bjsm.2010.078725.56 DP - 2010 Sep 01 TA - British Journal of Sports Medicine PG - i18--i18 VI - 44 IP - Suppl 1 4099 - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/Suppl_1/i18.2.short 4100 - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/Suppl_1/i18.2.full SO - Br J Sports Med2010 Sep 01; 44 AB - This study investigates the fluctuations of oxygen uptake in synchrony with repetitive climbing a circular boulder on an instrumented climbing wall. Oxygen consumption (VO2, l/min) was measured with a portable battery-powered Cosmed K4b2 metabolic systems via open circuit indirect calorimetry and the movement sequence with time was identified from the force signals at different holds. The results show that the fluctuations of VO2 (l/min) are synchronised with climbing and depend on the route conditions, which, in turn, require different climbing techniques. The cyclic behaviour of respiration provoked by a circular boulder route suggests that the oxygen uptake is influenced by the climbing route even after the steady state is reached.