Breaking Beta | The Science of Climbing

Latest Episodes:

INTRODUCING | Written in Stone: Climbing’s Most Important Ascents Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels in climbing, alternated with conversations with today’s top climbers about what inspired them about what went down way back then. Season One is focused on the 1990’s, and will tell the stories of how sport climbing came to dominate, how women climbers made their mark, and explore the characters who made it all happen. Moon, Skinner, Gullich, Hill, Nicole and more! Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Learn more at www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone

Can Beta-Alanine Supplementation Help You Send Your Sport Climbing Project? Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

In the final episode of Season 2, Kris and Paul discuss beta-alanine, a nutritional supplement, and its impact on climbing performance as investigated in:

Beta-Alanine Supplementation and Sport Climbing Performance

Authored by Krzysztof Sas-Nowosielski, Judyta Wyciślik, and Piotr Kaczka; published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in May, 2021.

They’ll explain what beta-alanine actually is and does chemically, and how this might translate into improved climbing performance. They’ll consider the pros and cons of the experiment’s design and thus the validity of its results in an attempt to determine whether or not climbers should consider using beta-alanine.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who want a deeper look into what science is actually saying about rock climbing, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Breaking Beta is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and Crux Conditioning, and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. Find full episode transcripts, citations, and more at our website.

Season 2 of Breaking Beta is proudly supported by Gnarly Sports Nutrition. For a limited time, Breaking Beta listeners can take 15% off their purchase using the code BETA15 at checkout! Or simply click the link above to shop and have the discount automatically applied.

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If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Are We Doing the Right Things When Warming Up for Climbing? Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss the difference between systematic and critical reviews, while examining what science says about warming up for sport in three reviews:

Current Approaches on Warming up for Sports Performance: A Critical Review

Authored by Maria Helena Gil MD, Henrique P. Neiva PhD, António C. Sousa MD, Mário C. Marques PhD, and Daniel A. Marinho PhD; published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal in August, 2019.

A systematic review of the effects of upper body warm-up on performance and injury

Authored by J. Matt McCrary, Bronwen J. Ackermann, and Mark Halaki; published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in July, 2015.

Upper-Body Post-activation Performance Enhancement for Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis and Recommendations for Future Research

Authored by Mitchell James Finlay, Craig Alan Bridge, Matt Greig, and Richard Michael Page; published in the Sports Medicine in November, 2021.

They’ll discuss the benefits of various warm-up activities like static or dynamic stretching, isometric movement, passive heating or cooling, and movement-specific activity. They’ll consider variables like duration, load, and volume — and the impact that warming up has been shown to have on performance.

*Additional studies/resources mentioned in this episode:

Biomechanical properties of the crimp grip position in rock climbers
Authored by Andreas Schweizer; published in the Journal of Biomechanics in February, 2001.

Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authored by Andrea J. Fradkin, Tsharni R. Zazryn, and James M. Smoliga; published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in January, 2010.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who warm up their fingers on a flash board and think they are ready to try their hardest, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Are Chalking Up and Shaking Out Actually Helpful or Persistent Myths? Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss the dangers of reading only the abstracts of research papers, by taking a look at what science says about chalking up and shaking out. They’ll reference multiple papers including:

Use of ‘chalk’ in rock climbing: sine qua non or myth?

Authored by François-Xavier Li, S. Margetts and I. Fowler; published in the Journal of Sports Sciences in July, 2001.

Active Recovery Strategies and Handgrip Performance in Trained Vs. Untrained Climbers

Authored by Jackson G. Green and Stephen R. Stannard; published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in February, 2010.

They’ll discuss how a study’s design can alter its results and their usefulness, and how key design aspects aren’t always included in abstracts. They’ll compare studies with better/worse designs, reminding us to dig a little deeper into a research paper before accepting the validity of its findings.

*Additional studies/resources mentioned in this episode:

The effect of chalk on the finger–hold friction coefficient in rock climbing
Authored by Arif Mithat Amca, Laurent Vigouroux, Serdar Aritan, and Eric Berton; published in Sports Biomechanics in 2012.

Friction between hand and different surfaces under different conditions and its implication for sport climbing
Authored by Franz Konstantin Fuss, Günther Niegl, and A. M. Tan; published in The Engineering of Sport 5, Vol. 2 in July, 2004.

The importance of friction between hand and hold in rock climbing
Authored by Franz Konstantin Fuss and Günther Niegl; published in Sports Technology in 2012.

Active recovery of the finger flexors enhances intermittent handgrip performance in rock climbers
Authored by Jiří Baláš, Michail Michailov, David Giles, Jan Kodejška, Michaela Panáčková, and Simon Fryer; published in the European Journal of Sport Science in 2016.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who tell you that liquid chalk and having your arm over your head while shaking out will allow you to climb a grade harder, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

What are the Anthropometric and Performance Characteristics of Modern Female Climbers? Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul chat with data analyst and fellow Power Company coach, Dale Wilson, to examine a study that attempts to collect and compare data from female climbers:

Anthropometry and performance characteristics of recreational advanced to elite female rock climbers

Authored by David Giles, Kimberly Barnes, Nicola Taylor, Corinna Chidley, Joel Chidley, James Mitchell, Oliver Torr, Edward Gibson-Smith, and Vanesa España-Romero; published in the Journal of Sports Sciences in August, 2020.

They’ll discuss the data that was collected from each climber and which measurements seem to be indicative of climbing performance. They’ll talk about some of the correlations revealed and Dale will explain how these compare to trends he’s seen in the Power Company’s data on female climbers.

Have Dale crunch the numbers for you - check out our Mini-Assessment + Analysis!

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!
And please, tell all of your female friends who say they are too short to be a good climber that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Did You Punt Because Your Focus is On the Wrong Thing? Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss a paper that explores how our attention - and where we focus it - can impact our performance:

Links between Attention, Performance Pressure, and Movement in Skilled Motor Action

Authored by Rob Gray; published in Current Directions in Psychological Science in June, 2011.

They’ll discuss the difference between focusing attention internally or externally, and how each has been shown to affect athletic performance, especially when the pressure is on. They’ll break down four ways that attention focus has been shown to impact movement, and what this information could mean for climbers.

*Additional studies/resources mentioned in this episode:

Performance of gymnastics skill benefits from an external focus of attention
Authored by Reza Abdollahipour, Gabriele Wulf, Rudolf Psotta, and Miriam Palomo Nieto; published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, 2015.

Internal and External Focus of Attention in a Novice Form Sport
Authored by Gavin P. Lawrence, Vicky M. Gottwald, James Hardy, and Michael A. Khan; published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2011.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!
And please, tell all of your friends who are constantly telling you that “You’ll send if when you do that, you just focus on pulling with your lats instead of your traps,” that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Do Our Abilities Alter How We Perceive Hold or Move Size? Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss a paper that looks at the relationship between an athlete’s skill level and how they perceive their environment:

Embodied perception in sport

Authored by Rob Gray; published in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology in December, 2013.

They’ll explain the idea of embodied perception in sport - the theory that how we see our environment is impacted by our ability to interact with it - with some climbing-specific examples. They’ll consider several factors that can influence this perception and how understanding these concepts might be helpful to us as climbers.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who insist that that mini jug is actually a 10mm edge, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Can We Measure How Different Energy Systems Contribute to Climbing? Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss a paper that investigates how different energy systems contribute to climbing performance:

Climbing-Specific Exercise Tests: Energy System Contributions and Relationships With Sport Performance

Authored by Marcin Maciejczyk, Michail Lubomirov Michailov, Magdalena Więcek, Jadwiga Szymura, Robert Rokowski, Zbigniew Szygula, and Ralph Beneke; published in Frontiers in Physiology in January, 2022.

They’ll explain the different energy systems and how they were measured in the study using three finger flexor muscle tests. They’ll consider how well these measurements can act as reliable performance indicators for climbing.

Special thanks to AJ Sobrilsky at Excel Physical Therapy in Bozeman and also the Climb Strong team for suggesting this paper!

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who have their energy system training totally dialed in but say “Take!” as soon as they are getting pumped, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Can We Accurately Assess the Movement Skills of Sport Climbers? Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul dig into a paper that presents and then tests a method for measuring movement skills in climbing:

Climbing performance analysis: A novel tool for the assessment of rock climber's movement performance

Authored by Nicola Taylor, Dave Giles, Michaela Panáčková, James Mitchell, Joel B. Chidley, and Nick Draper; published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance in January, 2020.

They’ll attempt to determine whether or not movement skills in climbing can even be measured reliably, and if the proposed system translates to anything useful for everyday climbers and coaches trying to assess movement.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who tell you that you are climbing something incorrectly, that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

Does Strength Training Help Prevent Shoulder Injuries in Climbers? Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Kris and Paul take a look at three papers dealing with the shoulder health of climbers:

Application of closed kinematic chain exercises with eccentric and strength exercises for the shoulder injuries prevention in student rock climbers: a randomized controlled trial

Authored by Serhii Kozin, Marian Cretu, Zhanneta Kozina, Andrii Chernozub, Olena Ryepko, Tetiana Shepelenko, Iryna Sobko, and Mariia Oleksiuk; published in the Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics in January, 2021.

Shoulder pathology on magnetic resonance imaging in asymptomatic elite-level rock climbers

Authored by Joseph D. Cooper, Max N. Seiter, Joseph J. Ruzbarsky, Ricky Poulton, Grant J. Dornan, Eric K. Fitzcharles, Charles P. Ho, and Thomas R. Hackett; published in The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine in February, 2022.

Shoulder girdle strength and finger flexor strength in prediction of performance in female rock climbers

Authored by Jan Kodejška and Jiří Baláš; published in Studia sportiva in 2016.

They’ll attempt to determine whether or not strength training really is a viable method for preventing shoulder injuries, and if shoulder health can be a reliable indicator of climbing performance in women.

New episodes of Breaking Beta drop on Wednesdays. Make sure you’re subscribed, leave us a review, and share!

And please, tell all of your friends who don’t have time to climb because they are doing dozens of wacky exercises with the 1 lb. dumbbells that you have the perfect podcast for them.

Follow Kris and Breaking Beta on Instagram

Follow Paul and Crux Conditioning on Instagram

If you have questions, comments, or want to suggest a paper we should cover, find us at our Community + Knowledge Hub.

Our music is from legendary South Dakota band Rifflord.

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