Editing Ape index (section)

== Significance in competition climbing ==

Multiple studies have been conducted into the effect of [[physiological]] factors, such as [[anthropometry]] and [[flexibility (anatomy)|flexibility]], in determining rock climbing ability, particularly in the area of [[competition climbing]], which is an Olympic sport. A number of these have included the ape index as one of the variables. However, the results have been mixed.

One study found that "untrainable" physical factors, including the ape index, were not necessarily predictors of climbing ability, despite a general tendency identified in previous studies for elite athletes in the sport to share these characteristics.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mermier|Janot|Parker|Swan|2000|pp=364–365}}</ref> This was supported by a later study that also found that the ape index was not statistically relevant. However, the authors of this second study noted that the findings may have been due to the low variability in the index between the climbers, who all had significantly higher ape indices than those found in the [[control group]]. Thus they left open the possibility that the ape index may be more significant when there is a greater degree of equivalence between the other traits under consideration.<ref>{{Harvnb|Watts|Joubert|Lish|Mast|2003|p=423}}.</ref>

Countering these studies are other works that have identified the ape index as a significant (or potentially significant) factor. A 2001 study comparing teenage male and female competition climbers noted that performance differences between the genders could be explained by several factors, one of which was the lower ape index found in the female competition climbers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Moss|Kunz|Adams|Berning|2001}}.</ref> Similarly, in a later work it was found that the ape index was statistically significant, and thus determined that it was one of several variables that provided the highest diagnostic value in the prediction of climbing performance.<ref name="Magiera12007pp96-97">{{cite journal | last1 = Magiera | first1 = Artur | last2 = Ryguła | first2 = Igor | year = 2007 | title = Biometric Model and Classification Functions in Sport Climbing | journal = Journal of Human Kinetics | volume = 18 | pages = 96–97 }}</ref>