Is powerlifting a viable method for engaging adults of all ages in resistance training?
A retrospective, longitudinal population analysis with comparison to population norms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.318Keywords:
powerlifters, older adults, positive youth development, maximal strength, public healthAbstract
Background: In Australia, one third of people ≥15 years participate in regular resistance training and 90% of those do not meet current health guidelines. All age groups should be encouraged to engage in regular resistance exercise, to maintain strength and function. Objectives: To identify trends in powerlifting competition participation in Australia by sex and age group from 1968-2022, and to compare the strength of powerlifting competitors to population age- and sex-based normative values. Method: The number of unique participants and total competition entries for each year were analysed using Australian powerlifting competition data. Subdomains of age and sex were investigated, and mean ± SD, frequency, range, and trend analyses were reported. Participants were classified according to United Nations age classifications to identify trends in participation by group. Comparisons to population strength norms were explored descriptively. Results: We included 21,514 individual competitors from 1,942 powerlifting competitions between 1968–2022. Participation rates demonstrated exponential growth (R2 = 0.86) with 51.1% of participants aged 18-35 years at commencement and 16% aged ≥ 36 years. Strength comparison to available population norms demonstrates superior upper- (bench-press [almost all competitors above 70th percentile) and lower-body (squat [majority rated ‘excellent’) strength. Conclusions: Superior strength levels of powerlifters compared to population norms are not surprising and further the evidence base for this sport as an effective way to develop muscular strength, with low injury risk and flexible participation requirements. We advocate for public health promotion and additional support for ‘grassroots’ powerlifting as an underutilised tool for community health.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Daniel van den Hoek, Alistair Mallard, Joel Garrett, Patrick Beaumont, Robert Howells, Jemima Spathis, Joshua Pearson, Christopher Latella (Author)
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