BREAKING BETA
The Science of Climbing Podcast

Join coaches Kris Hampton and Paul Corsaro as they interrogate and break down sports science as it relates to helping climbers improve.

SEASON TWO OF BREAKING BETA IS SUPPORTED BY GNARLY NUTRITION.

SEASON 2

Blog

Breaking Beta | Can Beta-Alanine Supplementation Help You Send Your Sport Climbing Project?

Does using the nutritional supplement beta-alanine improve climbing performance?

Breaking Beta | Are We Doing the Right Things When Warming Up for Climbing?

What does science say about warming up before performance?

Breaking Beta | Are Chalking Up and Shaking Out Actually Helping or Persistent Myths?

Are chalking up and shaking out helpful? Or just habits? And is just reading a research paper’s abstract enough to go on?

Breaking Beta | What are the Anthropometric and Performance Characteristics of Modern Female Climbers?

Examining a study that collected measurements from 55 women, what does the data say about today’s female climbers?

Breaking Beta | Did You Punt Because Your Focus is On the Wrong Thing?

“You’re overthinking it.” But is your overthinking actually costing you the send?

Breaking Beta | Do Our Abilities Alter How We Perceive Hold and Move Size?

Can how well we climb actually change how difficult a move looks to us?

Breaking Beta | Can We Measure How Different Energy Systems Contribute to Climbing?

Can the measurement of contributing energy systems act as climbing performance indicators?

Breaking Beta | Can We Accurately Assess the Movement Skills of Sport Climbers?

Can we effectively measure movement skills in climbing?

Breaking Beta | Does Strength Training Help Prevent Shoulder Injuries in Climbers?

Can shoulder injuries be prevented through strength training? Or are they just an inevitable part of being a climber?

Breaking Beta | Is Isometric Finger Testing Reliable? Which Edges are Best?

Just how valid is isometric finger testing? And can it predict your climbing ability?

BETTER CALL PAUL

Blog

Better Call Paul | International Rock Climbing Research Association Test Battery

Kris and Paul discuss a paper from the International Rock Climbing Research Association that introduces and assesses a battery of ten tests designed specifically to measure climbing performance.

Better Call Paul | The Male / Female Performance Gap in Climbing

How does the male/female performance gap in climbing compare to those in sprinting and distance running?

Better Call Paul | How Should Climbing Research Be Standardized?

The International Rock Climbing Research Association seeks to bring uniformity to how rock climbing research is collected and presented.

Better Call Paul | How Do We Choose and Read Research Papers?

Kris and Paul discuss the process they use to choose and read research papers, both for Breaking Beta and for their own interests as climbers and coaches.