Climber’s muscle excitation and force distribution at different wall angles and body positions

Steeper wall angles cause load transfer from feet to hand, homolateral in UP and contralateral in DOWN. DOWN position involves greater excitation of finger flexors muscles and brachioradialis at all wall angles, suggesting that preference for DOWN position in OVERHANG may not be simply explained by the degree of excitation of those muscles. This study provides a comprehensive mapping of full-body superficial muscle excitation and contact forces across two ecological climbing positions at different wall angles, helping to clarify climbing kinetics, inform targeted training and rehabilitation exercises, and optimize protocols for future research.