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RATE OF PERFORMANCE INCREASE IN AMERICAN FEMALE WEIGHTLIFTERS OVER TEN YEARS OF COMPETITION

Abstract

H.C. Ventresca and J.D. Miller. Department of Exercise of Sport Science, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK; e-mail: HVentresca@my.okcu.edu

There is little data on reasonable performance increases for female Weightlifters. PURPOSE: Evaluate rates of performance change for American female weightlifters over 10 years of competition. METHODS: Public domain data (http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting) was delimited to athletes (N ≥ 895) having competed in Youth or Junior Nationals to ensure athletes were <21yrs old at the time of the first competition. Competition results were converted to strength to mass (SM) ratios to control for the effect of bodyweight on performance. Starting with the first competition date, the highest SM for the snatch (SNT), clean and jerk (CJ) and combined total (T), within six month windows over 10 years, were recorded. The observed percentage change in SM and Cohen’s d effect size (ES) between each 6-month window, for the SNT, CJ and T was determined. Each athlete’s data was only included in the current window’s average if the preceding window contained data for comparison. RESULTS: Positive change in rate of performance peaked between windows one (baseline to 6mo) and two (7mo to 12mo) for the SNT (+8.7%, SM 0.68±0.19 to 0.74±0.19, ES=0.34), CJ (+7.7%, SM 0.90±0.24 to 0.97±0.24, ES=0.31) and T (+8.2%, SM 1.57±0.41 to 1.71±0.42 ES=0.34). Negative change in rate of performance peaked in the SNT between windows 17 (Year 8.0 to 8.5) and 18 (year 8.5 to 9.0) (-2.1%, SM 1.17±0.19 to 1.15±0.20, ES=-1.12) and windows 18 (year 8.5 to 9.0) and 19 (year 9.0 to 9.5) for the CJ (-3.1%, SM 1.45±0.26 to 1.41±0.31, ES=-0.15) and T (-2.45%, SM 2.60±0.46 to 2.54±0.55, ES=-0.12). Total performance increase over 10 years for the SNT was 27.7% (Year 1 SM 0.68±0.18, year 10 SM 1.13±0.24, ES=0.96), the CJ 22.2% (Year 1 SM 0.90±0.23, year 10 SM 1.40±0.30, ES=0.84), and T 25.0% (Year 1 SM 1.56±0.41, year 10 SM 2.53±0.53, ES=0.91). CONCLUSION: The SNT was initially 75.4% of the CJ, and peaked in year 10 at 81.2%, highlighting increased technical demands of the SNT as compared to the CJ. This study quantifies the rate of performance change for American female Weightlifters over 10yrs of competition; useful for talent identification and program evaluation.

Funding provided by the Oklahoma City University Creative Activity Inquiry Research Scholarship (CAIRS).

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