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performance advantage of active rather than passive recovery during
subsequent trials for repeated high intensity short-term exercise
is well documented. Research findings suggest that shorter periods
of active recovery, than traditionally employed, can be prescribed
and still retain performance benefits over passive recoveries in successive
exercise trials. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits
of a short duration active recovery for repeat climbing trials. Ten
recreational climbers volunteered for the study. In this randomly
assigned crossover study each climber completed five two-minute climbing
trails before a two minute active or passive recovery. This was followed
by a one and a half minute passive refocusing period for all climbers
before the subsequent climbing trial. Heart rate was monitored continuously,
RPE immediately post climbing and fingertip capillary blood samples
collected during each refocusing phase. There was a non-significant
difference between active and passive recoveries for heart rate during
climbing. After the active phase climbers had higher heart rates than
when following the passive recovery protocol, however, by the end
of the refocusing phase the active recovery protocol led to lower
heart rates than for the entirely passive recovery. There was a significant
difference between active and passive recovery conditions in lactate
concentration (F(1,9) = 18.79, p = 0.002) and RPE (F(1,9)
= 6.51, p = 0.031). Lactate concentration and RPE were lower across
all five climbing trials for the active recovery protocol. After active
recovery climbers started the next trial with a lower arterial lactate
concentration than for a passive recovery and indicated lower RPE
scores at the end of each climb. The refocusing period following active
recovery allowed climbers heart rates to return to a lower level at
the start of the next climb than for the passive recovery condition.
KEY
WORDS: Rock climbing, RPE, lactate concentration, active recovery.
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