## 4 Discussion
Moreover, the average BMI of sport climbers in the presented study was 21.00. This is consistent with the literature review carried out by [PERSON] et al., in which the average BMI was 21.66 (\(n=1610\)). Although [PERSON] et al. indicate that low fat and large forearm volume were important features in successful sports climbing, there was no association between BMI and sports climbing achievements during lead climbing and bouldering [10]. On the other hand, a lower BMI may be a prophylactic factor for climbing injuries. According to [PERSON] et al., a BMI above 21 will predispose to injuries of the flexor tendon pulleys in the fingers [20]. The presented results confirm the assumptions of the studies by [PERSON] et al., postulating that success in sport climbing is influenced by both training factors and anthropometric variables [21]. However, the authors emphasize that the training component explained 46% of the total variance, while anthropometric variables explained only 4%. Moreover, the previously indicated studies do not answer the question of which anthropometric features differentiate sport climbers at different levels of advancement. Thus, it suggests the need for long-term observation of sports climbers from an early age to their senior career. The lead climbers had a longer time to achieve the most challenging route than the boulderers in both \"Elite\" and \"Higher Elite\" groups. This may be because lead climbing is a less force-dependent subdiscipline than bouldering. Moreover, the effort in lead climbing is based more on the endurance parameters of the sport climber. Peak endurance performance is maintained until 35 years of age, followed by modest decreases until 50-60 years of age [22]. On the other hand, skeletal muscle power starts declining after the age of 30, which can affect bouldering performance in older athletes [23]. The presented research has several practical applications. Our results provide an innovative insight into the performance analysis of world-class sport-climbing athletes. Previously, no study had analyzed anthropometric and body composition parameters on such a large group of the best sports climbers in the world. It may be helpful for athletes, coaches, and sports clubs to set realistic goals and evaluate their success strategies in sports climbing subdisciplines, especially within lead climbing and bouldering. The comparison between the lead climbers and boulderers showed that the lead climbers started to climb at a younger age and had a longer time to achieve the most challenging route than the boulderers. This may indicate the need for the early specialization of sport climbers in the lead climbing subdiscipline. The observations also provide a starting point for future research to explore the mechanisms underlying maximum climbing performance development, considering anthropometric parameters in sport climbers. Hence, future research observing the development of young sport climbers in terms of specialization in particular subdisciplines should be conducted, considering anthropometric, physiological, and psychological data. The presented study has several limitations. Firstly, the results obtained are based on data from the www.8a.nu rank website, which consists of self-reported data. The research parameters are limited to the athletes' age, body mass, body height, and sports experience due to the lack of other parameters in the 8a.nu database. More parameters, such as somatotype, total skeletal muscle mass, subcutaneous fat mass, bone mass, cardiopulmonary capacity, and limb size, should also be included in future research. Moreover, the age of starting to climb and the age when climbing the hardest route parameters are difficult to correlate with the actual sports duration of the climbers over the years. Therefore, other methods should be adopted in future studies to measure the actual sports activity duration of athletes. Secondly, the study sample consists only of male athletes. Thus, future research should include the female population.