Abstract

The aim of this study was the analysis of incidence and type of injury in German elite powerlifters. A total of n = 57 competitive athletes of the German powerlifting federation completed a retrospective survey regarding acute and overuse injuries.

With 224 total injuries, a mean incidence of 1.51 per 1.000 h or 0.49 per year was calculated. Most injuries affected the lower back (20.5%), elbow (11.2%), pelvic region (10.3) and the shoulder (9.8%). Regarding the type of injury acute inflammation (25.9%), muscle strains/sprains (20.5%) and skin lesions (13%) dominated. The mean incidence significantly declined with increasing age and training experience of the athlete. Athletes using a bench press shirt and various regenerative methods like sauna or swimming also showed decreased injury rates. There was no significant correlation between body weight, height or gender and injury incidence.

Compared to other sports, the incidence of injuries and overuse syndromes is still low in powerlifting. Nonetheless, appropriate strategies in training, equipment, prevention and regeneration should be employed to protect the athlete from injury.

Details

Title
Incidence and characteristics of acute and overuse injuries in elite powerlifters
Author
Reichel, Thomas 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mitnacht, Martin 1 ; Fenwick, Annabel 1 ; Meffert, Rainer 1 ; Hoos, Olaf 2 ; Fehske, Kai 1 

1  Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberduerrbacher Str. 6, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany 
2  Center for Sports and Physical Education, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany 
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Jan 2019
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
e-ISSN
2331205X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/2331205X.2019.1588192
ProQuest document ID
2351059573
Copyright
© 2019 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.