Powerlifting is a strength sport which consists of three basic exercises: squat, bench press and dead lift. It is a high intensity training that involves powerlifters attempting to lift maximum weights which can lead to injuries. The most common causes of injuries are the performance of the lifts, workout volume, intensity, equipment and flexibility.
The purpose of the master thesis was to identify the reasons for injuries in powerlifting, to determine the frequency, type and kind as well as the most common places of injuries.
The research was conducted on 61 men and 17 women who regularly do powerlifting. The average age of powerlifters was 26 ± 6, the height 177 ± 8 cm and their weight 87 ± 15 kg. In the research we used a questionnaire which was adjusted to the recommendations of the epidemiological studies of sports injuries. We found out that the most frequent injuries in powerlifting are injury of a shoulder (56,52 %), a knee (40,82 %) and the lower part of back (52, 38 %). The acute injuries (52,89 %) are of a significantly greater frequency than chronic ones (47,11 %). The most frequent type of injuries were muscle strain or muscle pull (25,43 %) and tendinitis or tendiopathy (20,81 %). We also found out that the injuries usually happen during the workout when performing any of the three lifts (74,25 %). The most common reason for injuries is too high workout volume and/or too big intensity of the workouts (37,57 %).
This research is the first example of the analysis on the prevalence of injuries in powerlifting in Slovenia. Regarding our findings we suggest that powerlifters train more professionally and systematically and also pay extra attention to the preventive, control, workout length and the correct technique. When preparing the training process, we recommend them to train under professional supervision with an emphasis on the correct workout quantity, frequency and the intensity of the workout. The powerlifters should pay special attention to the specifically planned and systematic load to the muscle groups and body parts involved in squat, bench press and dead lift. They should follow professional recommendations about regeneration and try to avoid getting overtrained. After each even a small injury make an analysis and reflexion of the cause of the injury. It should be treated professionally and the powerlifters should follow all the rest recommendations. After a complete rehabilitation powerlifters should start with well planned, systematic and gradual workouts. The saying "no injuries give no results in powerlifting” is unacceptable and obsolete from the modern training doctrine point of view.
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