Acute motor–cognitive responses to a bouldering fatigue protocol in indoor recreational climbers

TL;DR

This study shows that a climbing fatigue protocol reduces physical performance but unexpectedly improves visuospatial memory in climbers.

Contribution

A feasible, standardized bouldering fatigue protocol that induces climbing-specific fatigue and reveals counterintuitive cognitive improvements.

Findings

Finger-hang endurance and grip strength significantly decreased after the fatigue protocol.

Visuospatial working memory improved by 16.4% following the protocol.

Forearm fatigue was the primary cause of termination during the climbing task.

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of an ecological bouldering fatigue protocol and quantify acute changes in climbing-specific motor performance and visuospatial working memory in indoor climbers.

Non-randomised pre–post study in 28 indoor boulderers (18 male, 10 females; 15–34 years). Participants attempted sex- and skill-matched problems on a 15° overhanging Kilter Board to volitional exhaustion. Pre- and post-fatigue assessments included finger-hang endurance, pinch-grip strength, explosive pulling power, static balance, upper-limb dynamic stability, and visuospatial working memory.

The protocol achieved all feasibility criteria. The intervention produced physiological stress (heart rate +60 bpm from baseline: 118.9 ± 22.0 to 178.6 ± 11.1; RPE 14.7 ± 1.8) and forearm-related termination in 75%. Performance changes: finger-hang endurance −34.2% (dz = −0.85, p < 0.001); pinch-grip strength −5.8% (dz = −0.53, p = 0.009); explosive pulling power −4.8% (dz = −0.52, p = 0.010), and visuospatial working memory +16.4% (dz = 0.54, p = 0.008). Static balance and upper-limb stability showed trivial non-significant change.

A brief, standardised, sex- and skill-matched bouldering protocol was feasible and induced climbing-specific fatigue. The observed improvement in visuospatial working memory challenges simple fatigue-impairment assumptions. This ecologically valid protocol provides a foundation for future work on motor–cognitive interactions and injury-relevant performance in climbing athletes.

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