Thermographic Assessment of Upper Body Muscles in Climbers as a Methodology for Comparing Different Skill Levels

Background: Infrared thermography (IRT) is increasingly used in sports science to monitor muscle temperature changes in athletes. This study aimed to analyze muscle groups of upper body regions warming in climbers, comparing high (HL) and very high-level (VHL) climbers after completing a maximum-difficulty route. Methods: HL and VHL climbers performed their most challenging route, with thermographic measurements of muscle groups of upper body regions (biceps, elbow flexors, external and internal regions of the forearm, front shoulder, and triceps) taken before, immediately after, and 15 minutes post-climbing using IRT. Results: Climbing-specific muscles, such as the biceps, elbow flexors, and forearm regions, warmed significantly during and after climbing. In contrast, secondary muscles regions, like the shoulder and triceps, exhibited minimal changes, indicating their supportive role. Non-specific muscle regions, such as the chest, back, and lower back, exhibited a cooling-rewarming cycle, highlighting their stabilizing role during climbing and contrasting with the greater heat generation of climbing-specific muscle regions. Advanced climbers showed less warming in specific areas—left biceps, right elbow flexor, and forearm—suggesting a more efficient thermoregulatory or metabolic response. This may indicate adaptations associated with advanced climbing performance. An optimized methodology for thermographic studies in climbing should include measurements immediately post-climbing and 15 minutes later to capture the immediate and ongoing muscle response. Conclusions: These findings suggest that specific muscles involved in climbing sustain significant temperature increases, with advanced climbers potentially benefiting from enhanced efficiency in muscle thermoregulation, which may contribute to improved performance.背景：红外热成像（Infrared thermography, IRT）在运动科学领域的应用愈发广泛，其主要用于监测运动员的肌肉温度变化。本研究旨在分析攀岩运动员上肢肌群的体温升高情况，对比高水平（High Level, HL）与顶级高水平（Very High Level, VHL）攀岩者完成最大难度攀岩线路后的体温变化。方法：HL与VHL攀岩者完成各自最具挑战性的攀岩线路，分别于攀岩前、攀岩后即刻及攀岩后15分钟，采用红外热成像对上肢肌群（肱二头肌、肘屈肌、前臂内外侧区域、前肩部及肱三头肌）进行热成像测量。结果：攀岩专项肌群，如肱二头肌、肘屈肌及前臂区域，在攀岩过程中及攀岩后出现显著升温。与之相对，次要肌群区域（如肩部与肱三头肌）的温度变化极小，提示其仅承担辅助支撑功能。非专项肌肉区域（如胸部、背部及下背部）则呈现降温-复温的循环过程，表明其在攀岩过程中起到稳定机体的作用，这与攀岩专项肌群的强产热特性形成鲜明反差。高水平攀岩者在特定区域——左侧肱二头肌、右侧肘屈肌及前臂——的升温幅度更低，提示其体温调节或代谢反应更为高效，这或许与适配高级攀岩运动表现的适应性改变相关。优化后的攀岩热成像研究方法应纳入攀岩后即刻及15分钟后的测量环节，以捕捉肌肉即刻及持续的生理反应。结论：本研究结果表明，参与攀岩的专项肌肉会出现显著的温度升高，而高水平攀岩者可能具备更高效的肌肉体温调节能力，这或有助于提升运动表现。