COMING SOON!
C.O.S.S. (COSS) – Climbing Ordered Stress Score. This will be a free "Stress Score" to evaluate your training progress. You will be able to log in, have your history be anonymous, and follow a continual training/climbing log that will be as relatively accurate as you are.
As we all know, climbing has a limited research base, however, we have tried to make the values as evidence-based as much as possible. Some of the value based scores are subjective, based on what we thought had more effect toward the “stress” concerning climbing performance and recovery. The values are also an attempt to be as “user-friendly” as possible.
This score is an attempt to allow dedicated climbers an opportunity to log information into the type and magnitude of physiological adaptations to climbing. Climbing intensity, frequency and duration are important factors for performance improvement AND recovery.
As a general rule, as climbing intensity goes up volume must come down, and vice-versa, or else you will potentially become over-trained. To help quantify the psycho-social and physiological load, COSS uses your data input to calculate a “stress score” for every climbing day, week, and month, together with your current physiological/fitness status, providing a graphical picture on your individual page. COSS is an attempt to quantify both the intensity (how hard) and the volume (how much) of each climbing session, and can be viewed as a predictor of the current level of “stress” you have accumulated.
A positive COSS score can be used an indicator that you are generally recovered and that the likelihood of an overuse (as opposed to an acute, accidental or unforeseen injury) injury is low. For example, while individuals will tend to differ in how much climbing they can tolerate, depending on their training, genetic, and psychological background, the following scale can be used as an approximate guide:
* Less than 0 or a negative value - high (recovery is incomplete by following day). The further the negative value gets away from 0 is an indicator that you need rest or risk an overuse injury.
* 0 - medium (some residual fatigue may be present the next day, but gone by 2nd day). This is an indication that training can be moderate (relative to the individual) in intensity OR volume.
* Greater than 0 or positive value – (no residual fatigue, but, climbing and training has been consistent without a long time gap). This is an indication that you are at less risk of an overuse injury and that you could have a high performance day, given all variable constraints are in your favor. The further the positive value from 0 is an indicator of good individual performance.
By allowing convenient tracking of climbing information over time, COSS provides climbers a tool for analyzing the enormous amount of data that can affect your performance and risk of overuse. The overall analysis can then serve as a window for improvements in training and, ultimately, climbing performance.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (update only for changes in Condition) #1
1. Body mass
a. Height and weight
Body mass index (BMI) is generally used to screen clinical patients for excess weight relative to their height.
The BMI is used in COSS as a general weight:height relative to stress upon climbing musculature.
b. Morph
http://exrx.net/FatLoss/Somotype.html
1. Endomorph is a descriptor to indicate that you are naturally “big” for your height.
2. Mesomorph is a descriptor indicating that you are “normal” or athletic in build for your height.
3. Ectomorph is a descriptor indicating that you are slight or thin in build for your height.
c. Body Fat
http://exrx.net/Calculators/BodyComp.html
2. Metabolic Endurance
http://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html
These values are relative, as running is lower body intensive, however, it is a “snapshot” of your ability to withstand work relative to your climbing activity.
a. Bouldering – 400m long sprint
b. Sport – 5K run
c. Trad – 10K run
3. Sleep
a. Normal hours – deviations
Each individual has a “normal” sleeping pattern that is appropriate for them, and time deviations are an indicator of general stress.
b. Travel Sleep – alertness
People rarely rest as well whilst traveling as opposed to sleeping at home, so some sleep deviation from what you are used to is normal, so, an “alertness” (how awake you feel) is one level of stress.
4. Resting Pulse
a. Normal – 60-80bpm
As a general rule, values above the norm are considered “at risk” for some level of cardiovascular disease and values below normal are considered to be “healthier” than normal. If this is of concern, you should see a Physician.
5. Appetite
This value is an indicator whether or not you are nutritionally in a deficit (risking Catabolism and an overuse injury, or Anabolism risking gaining too much weight for the tendon/ligament system to support the change) or a surplus...or just right.
6. Metabolism
This is very related to Apatite and how long this persists is related to the overall score.
7. Stress
Just psychological norms for each person; do you feel good, the same, or less “psyched” than usual, in general, not specific to the climbing day.
8. Age
Age related norms as an indication for athletic/climbing volume or intensity.
9. Climbing preference
A value based on the intensity of the climbing activity and your “training age”.
11. Athletic Background
Another value based on your “training age” but, generally related and not as specific as your “climbing-training age”.
12. Previous Injuries – from point of rock contact to mid-section.
Climbing-specific related injuries that will be a value of “future risk”.
DAILY CONDITION (TRAINING OR CLIMBING TODAY) #2
1. Intensity - choose a value that you think represents your climbing/training today
A. Most Difficult - quality of routes/problems
These values are scored only when you have achieved a NEW/HIGHER climbing difficulty grade.
B. Difficulty
These values are scored only when you have achieved a MATCHING level of your HIGHEST climbing difficulty grade.
C. Typical
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing difficulty that is NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
D. Lower than average
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing difficulty that is BELOW NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
E. Low
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing difficulty that is UNUSUALLY BELOW NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
2. Volume – quantity of routes/problems. Choose a value that you think represents your climbing/training today
A. Most Volume
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing VOLUME (Duration or Frequency) that is the HIGHEST VOLUME for you.
B. High Volume
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing VOLUME (Duration or Frequency) that MATCHES HIGHEST VOLUME for you.
C. Typical Volume
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing VOLUME (Duration or Frequency) that is the NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
D. Lower than average
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing VOLUME (Duration or Frequency) that is BELOW NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
E. Low
These values are scored only when you have achieved a level of climbing VOLUME (Duration or Frequency)that is UNUSUALLY BELOW NORMAL/AVERAGE for you.
3. Psychology – Good/Average/Bad for the DAY.
4. Social Situation – Good/Average/Bad for the DAY, depending on the group or lack thereof.
5. Nutrition/Hydration
This value will have an effect on your recovery and performance for several days.
6. Rest
This is specific to climbing frequency (Intra and Inter) daily values.
7. General Conditioning
With respect to general conditioning; how intense was it and how often are you doing it? Is that normal, less than or greater than?
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45433-7022
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