## 4 Discussion  
Due to the great interest in sports climbing, an increasing number of investigations are trying to prove which physiological and psychological parameters or training factors influence success in sports climbing subdisciplines. Training-modified parameters seem to be most important in shaping the climber's physical form [15]. However, anthropometric data can also influence sports climbing performance [10]. Therefore, the presented study aimed to analyze the relationship between age, climbing experience, anthropometric data, and the best result in sport climbing achieved by male sport climbers in bouldering and lead climbing. In the presented study, a higher level of climbing performance was associated with starting training at an earlier age in lead climbing and bouldering. According to [PERSON] et al. [16], initiating integrative neuromuscular training early in youth may help increase training abilities in the future and set the stage for even more significant gains in physical fitness during their post-pubertal years. However, the current literature lacks reports on the optimal age to initiate sport climbing training. Despite earlier reports suggesting that the level of sport climbing is mainly made up of variables that can be learned [15], the presented study showed that the lead climbers at the \"Higher Elite\" level had a lower body mass and lower height than the \"Elite\" lead climbers. Therefore, height and body mass may be important factors concerning the sport level among lead climbers. The possible mechanism of the influence of body mass on the climbing level in lead climbing may be associated with a longer period of effort during sports climbing. Since gravity is an important factor in climbing activity, lower body mass puts less gravitational force on the climber's body and enables them to exert prolonged efforts on the climbing wall. Thus, lower body mass during a longer time on the climbing wall can affect the slower fatigue of the athlete and result in better sports performance. Moreover, shorter climbers can be at a bit of an advantage in dynamic moves because they are forced to adapt to this issue earlier in their climbing progression. On the other hand, lower body mass may be less important than strength capabilities in the bouldering subdiscipline. Boulderers are often associated with greater muscle mass and, thus, with greater overall body mass. Moreover, boulderers are characterized by higher explosive strength than lead climbers, which also involves muscle and body mass [6; 7; 8]. Hence, lower body mass seems to be a more important factor in the lead climbing subdiscipline than in the bouldering subdiscipline, which is also confirmed by the results of this study. Moreover, lower body mass can relate to a lower body fat percentage, which has also been demonstrated in several research studies [13]. Body fat reduction may contribute to muscular and cardio-respiratory endurance as well as to the development of speed and agility, which can be essential for climbing performance [17]. The participants' BMI and age in none of the analyzed combinations reached statistical significance. The age at which the most difficult route was climbed was similar in all groups and was about 25 years. Thus, the age of peak performance in sports climbing is similar to that in other sports disciplines. The studies conducted by [PERSON] et al. note that the peak performance age is between 25 and 27 years in athletic disciplines [18]. Similar conclusions were reached by [PERSON] et al. on world-class track-and-field athletes [19]. However, theage of elite competition climbers is lower since they enter world-level competitions at the age of 16. It can be because young elite sport climbers tend to climb in natural rock formations less nowadays and leave that type of climbing for a later age, after a competitive career. In addition, frequent training camps and a large number of climbing competitions, both national and international, do not allow for frequent rock climbing.