The effect of eight weeks of sport climbing training on anxiety, happiness and various motor variables

The aim of this study is to examine the physical and psychological effects of sport climbing training on individuals who have no previous sport climbing experience. For this purpose, a sample of university students was selected and the research population consisted of individuals who had not done sport climbing before. An 8-week sport climbing training program was designed and implemented and 28 volunteers were divided into 14 experimental and 14 control groups. The experimental group participated in sport climbing training 3 days a week for 8 weeks, while the control group did not engage in physical activity during this period. Pre-test and post-test control group experimental design was used in the study and anthropometric measurements, performance tests, Oxford Happiness Scale and trait anxiety dimension of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were applied to all participants before and after the training program. Mann-Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to examine the differences between the variables before and after the training program. In addition, vertical jump and back strength, which were significant in the Mann-Whitney U Test pre-test data, were recalculated and interpreted by Quade's ANCOVA. The results showed that the participants in the experimental group had statistically significant differences in vertical jump, grip strength for both left and right hand, back strength and trait anxiety. Improvements were also observed in happiness and flexibility, but these changes were not statistically significant. Unlike other studies, this study obtained significant statistical results on trait anxiety at the end of 8 weeks of sport climbing training. In addition, left hand claw strength of all participants in the experimental group improved. As a result, it can be said that sport climbing has positive effects on physical and mental health for university students. Further research with larger sample sizes, different age groups and different types of climbing such as bouldering is recommended for a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of sport climbing.