Lumbopelvic movement control in powerlifters with and without low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: To measure lumbopelvic movement control in powerlifters with and without low back pain (LBP). DESIGN: Quantitative Cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve powerlifters with LBP and 28 powerlifters without LBP. SETTING: Powerlifters were recruited in nine different cities and filmed while performing a movement control test battery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lumbopelvic movement control test battery consisting of seven tests, with a possible score between 0 and 13. The tests were rated by a physical therapist blinded to the group allocation and comparisons of the frequency of current/incorrect tests between groups were calculated. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the movement control test battery between the powerlifters with LBP (Median = 7.0, (2-11)) and powerlifters without LBP (Median = 6.0, (1-10)) (P = 0.59). There were no statistically significant differences between groups when the individual movement control tests were analyzed separately. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of significant differences between groups indicates that performance in lumbopelvic movement control test might not be associated with LBP in powerlifters. More studies on associations between LBP and movement control and other body functions are needed to guide assessment and treatment of powerlifters with LBP and for investigation of possible risk factors for LBP in powerlifters.

Prevalence and Consequences of Injuries in Powerlifting: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Powerlifting consists of the squat, bench press, and dead lift, and extreme loads are lifted during training and competitions. Previous studies, which have defined an injury as an event that causes an interruption in training or competitions, have reported a relatively low frequency of powerlifting injuries (1.0-4.4 injuries/1000 hours of training). No previous study has investigated the prevalence of injuries, defined as a condition of pain or impairment of bodily function that affects powerlifters' training, in a balanced sample of men and women, and no studies have established possible risk factors for an injury. PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence, localization, and characterization of injuries among Swedish subelite classic powerlifters, with an emphasis on differences between men and women, and to investigate whether training and lifestyle factors are associated with an injury. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 53 female and 51 male Swedish subelite powerlifters answered an online questionnaire including questions about background characteristics, training habits, and lifestyle factors. The main part of the questionnaire included questions about injuries and their consequences. An injury was defined as a condition of pain or impairment of bodily function that affects powerlifters' training. RESULTS: Seventy percent (73/104) of participants were currently injured, and 87% (83/95) had experienced an injury within the past 12 months. The lumbopelvic region, shoulder, and hip were the most commonly injured areas for both sexes. Women experienced a significantly greater frequency of injuries in the neck and thoracic region than men. Injuries seemed to occur during training, although only 16% (11/70) of those currently injured had to completely refrain from training. Training frequency, greater personal best in the dead lift, injury onset during bench-press and dead-lift training, use of straps, alcohol consumption, and dietary issues were associated with current injuries. CONCLUSION: Injuries are very common in subelite powerlifters. Men and women report similar injury frequencies but different anatomic locations. These injuries do not prevent powerlifters from training and competing, but they may change the content of training sessions. Why powerlifters develop injuries is still unclear; however, it is likely that the management of training loads and optimization of the lifting technique during the squat, bench press, and dead lift are of importance.