Does plyometric training improve explosive muscle performance in experienced boulder climbers?

The effects of a 10-week plyometric training programme on selected neuromuscular outcomes in trained-to-highly-trained male boulder climbers: a preliminary exploratory trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN10927935

Enrollment

Registered

2026-07-09

Start date

2025-08-02

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-07-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Neuromuscular performance in sport. This study examined the effects of plyometric training on explosive force production and rate of force development in trained boulder climbers. No clinical condition or disease was studied

Interventions

Participants were randomly assigned to groups using a computer-generated random number sequence produced in Microsoft Excel prior to the baseline assessment. The sequence was generated by a researcher

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Male

Age

20 Years to 40 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Male boulder climbers aged 20–40 years 2. Minimum bouldering performance level of V5 (self-reported current maximum redpoint grade) 3. At least two years of continuous sport climbing experience 4. Training frequency of three or more sessions per week over the previous six months 5. Absence of active musculoskeletal injuries at the time of initial assessment

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Active musculoskeletal injury at the time of initial assessment 2. Medical conditions contraindicating reactive or ballistic training 3. Injury sustained during the intervention period preventing continuation of the protocol 4. Session adherence rate below 80% of scheduled sessions

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Isometric pull-up rate of force development (RFD) measured using a load cell (Tindeq Progressor®); RFD calculated from force-time curve at 0–200ms and 20–80% of maximal force intervals, at pre-intervention (August 2025) and post-intervention (October 2025)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Upper-body explosive power, finger flexor strength and RFD, lower-body explosive power, and pull-up performance measured using plyometric push-up power (W) and Power Slap distance (cm) assessed using Chronojump® and campus board; maximum isometric finger flexor strength (kg) and RFD at 0–200ms and 20–80% Fmax on 20mm hold using Tindeq Progressor®; countermovement jump height (cm) and power (W) using Chronojump®; maximum pull-up repetitions to failure at pre-intervention (August 2025) and post-intervention (October 2025);Pull-up repetition performance measured using the maximum pull-up repetitions to failure; prone grip, dead-hang start, chin above bar criterion, no kipping at pre-intervention (August 2025) and post-intervention (October 2025)	—

Measure

Time frame

Upper-body explosive power, finger flexor strength and RFD, lower-body explosive power, and pull-up performance measured using plyometric push-up power (W) and Power Slap distance (cm) assessed using Chronojump® and campus board; maximum isometric finger flexor strength (kg) and RFD at 0–200ms and 20–80% Fmax on 20mm hold using Tindeq Progressor®; countermovement jump height (cm) and power (W) using Chronojump®; maximum pull-up repetitions to failure at pre-intervention (August 2025) and post-intervention (October 2025);Pull-up repetition performance measured using the maximum pull-up repetitions to failure; prone grip, dead-hang start, chin above bar criterion, no kipping at pre-intervention (August 2025) and post-intervention (October 2025)

—

Countries

Chile

Contacts

Public ContactGuillermo Cortés-Roco

guillermo.cortes@uvm.cl+56978066148

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jul 23, 2026