Early Sport Specialization in Elite Weightlifters: Weightlifting Injury Occurrence and Relevant Opinions

This study sought to determine the age, rate of injury, influence to specialize, and opinions surrounding the impact of sports specialization in attainment of elite-level weightlifting status. A link to an anonymous survey was distributed to the top 20 weightlifters in each weight class (8 male and 7 female weight classes). The survey questioned athletes about both age and motivation to specialize, previous injuries and/or surgeries, and level of competition. Injuries and surgeries were compared between those who specialized at the Youth level (≤age 16), Junior level (ages 17–20), and nonspecialized weightlifters. One hundred forty-one athletes (47.0%) completed the survey. Sixteen subjects (11.3%) specialized at the Youth level, 18 (12.8%) specialized at the Junior level, and the remaining 107 (75.9%) did not specialize before age 21. There was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of injury before age 21 between weightlifters specializing at the Youth level and those who did not specialize (Χ2(1) = 22.4, p
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Short Research Report Source Type: research